The Art of Seduction
by iridian
Summary: Ch.10!Kaoru was just a princess. Then came Kenshin. When he married her, he thought he was just calling in a debt. He swept her off her feet and married her. The players are just beginning to put on their masks and being the show...
1. Chapter 1: To Meet your Significant Othe

_The Art of Seduction: Chapter 1 _

_To Meet your Significant Other _

_by Iridian_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, it belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki-sama._

"My dear, I know you hate this, but it's for the best," cried Kaoru's mother. Kaoru merely turned and glared at her, before returning to doing on of her katas.

"Mother, I have nothing to say to you. I will leave tomorrow as planned to meet my lord, and I promise I will bear it. Don't worry, your investments are safe," said Kaoru, her voice flat and cold.

Tomoe drew in a breath, defeated, and turned to leave. "Kaoru, we want nothing more than to keep you with us forever. Your father is in a difficult position, and he needs allies. Sacrificing the lives of our people was and is not an option." With that Lady Hajime turned to leave.

Kaoru turned, looking at the door, her eyes glistening with tears that would never be shed. "Mother, father, I do this for your sake. And for our people."

Kaoru continued doing her training, attempting to drown out her troubles.

"Kaoru."

Kaoru turned to see a brown-haired smiling man, who was holding an unsheathed nihounto.

"Come at me Kaoru."

She tapped her foot, and disappeared into the air. Soujirou, turned, almost lazily blocking her sword, knocking the weapon out of her hands. She did a spinning butterfly kick, disarming him, then flipped back over, in a guard stance.

The two circled, waiting for one to attack. Kaoru lunged forward, trying a move called the Seven Swords on Soujirou, only to be blocked, and then countered by a series of kick and blocks, then a flurry of failed jujitsu locks.

Finally, the Tenken pinned her down, smiling down at her with his omnipresent smile.

"You are slow today, Kaoru," he commented, getting off of her.

"I don't think I'll see you again Sou-chan," said Kaoru, her head bowed.

The Tenken only smiled brighter. "I'll be watching out for you when you least expect it, Kaoru. I will be seeing you again." He laid a hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

Kaoru turned, a smile coming through her misty eyes, throwing her arms around her best friend and sensei.

"I'm going to miss you, Sou-chan," said Kaoru, soaking Soujirou's gi with her tears.

The Tenken only smiled.

---

Kaoru woke up the next morning, her maid Tsubame attending her as she moved about woodenly preparing for her impending journey.

"My lady, would you like me to call your breakfast upstairs?" said Tsubame, worried about her lady as she simply sat in all of her finery, looking out of her window.

"No, Tsubame. I will go downstairs," said Kaoru, her voice betraying none of her anxiety. "Go on ahead and eat something yourself Tsubame, I will be there soon."

Tsubame curtseyed to her lady, then turned and left the room.

_The sun is mocking me, it such a beautiful day. Lord whatever…my fiancé. _Kaoru laughed, her bitterness coming out of her throat unbidden. _Maybe a handsome kidnapper will sweep me off of my feet before I even get there…_

Kaoru stood up, and went down to eat breakfast for the last time with her parents.

"Goodbye father, mother," said Kaoru, bowing her head slightly in deference to her parents, Emperor and Empress Saitoh and Tomoe Hajime.

Both parents stepped forward to give their daughter a hug, before she turned and mounted her horse, Kamatari.

She swung her leg over the beautiful blue-black mare, and turned in her saddle to give her kingdom one last wave.

She was gone.

---

"My lady Kaoru!" shouted Tsubame.

Kaoru turned, startled by the sudden shouts of her little handmaiden.

"Yes, Tsubame," said Kaoru, worry shining through on her face.

"Three men came and defeated all the soldiers and they are threatening to kill them," said Tsubame fearfully, "You mustn't go, my lady, they will try to take you too!"

"They defeated all of the soldiers?" Kaoru stood, feeling slightly dizzy. _I cannot allow people to die for my sake. _

"Tsubame, run to the nearest village and try to find work, or a family that will take you in," said Kaoru. She slipped off a ring, a large sapphire set simply on a silver band, "Take this and sell it, it should be more than enoughto keep you."

"My lady, I want to stay with you!" cried the little girl.

"Tsubame, if I can, I will come find you. Don't worry about me, ok?" said Kaoru. She kneeled to give Tsubame a hug, then stood and began walking away. "Don't forget what I said!"

Kaoru walked into the compound she had been staying at, expecting bloodshed and shouts but found it strangely quiet. She walked further in, finally coming to the courtyard.

"Hey missy, we've been waiting for you," said a tall, spiky-haired man, grinning at her.

Next to him stood a tall, black-haired man, who regarded her coolly.

Kaoru stopped staring, and quickly collected herself. "Please do not harm my father's men, they have done nothing to hurt you and are not at fault. If you are to take anyone, please take me. I take the responsibility of all these men onto myself."

"Don't be all serious there missy, we don't want to hurt you. You're our lord's fiancée after all." The tall brown haired man chuckled "But hey, we haven't introduced ourselves yet. My name is Sagara Sanosuke, call me Sano, and this is Shinomori Aoshi." He gave a little bow.

"I am engaged to your lord? Pray tell me when this happy event occurred," said Kaoru sarcastically.

"You forget your fiancé so easily," said a voice from behind her. Kaoru spun, cursing herself for letting her guard down so carelessly, and found herself staring at a rather nicely built chest. She looked up, berating her parents for making her so small in stature.

A red-haired man looked down at her, and took her hand, "My lady Kaoru." He leaned down, kissing her hand.

Kaoru stood still, shocked by the appearance of this man in front of her. Bright red hair that shone gold in the moonlight and liquid gold eyes…this man was to be her fiancé?

"Who are you?" said Kaoru.

"I am Lord Himura Kenshin, my lady. You may know me better as the Hitokiri Battousai?" said Kenshin, a feral grin on his face.

Sano chuckled, laughing at Kaoru's obvious shock. "The Wolf didn't even tell her the name of her fiancé!" crowed the rooster.

Kaoru's eyes widened in shock, but she kept herself rigidly upright.

_She didn't faint…good._

_I am being engaged to a legendary killer…Someone up there must not like me…_

"My lord is…my fiancé?" said Kaoru.

"As you are now well aware of," said Kenshin, his eyes glinting gold.

"I do not believe you, Battousai," snarled Kaoru.

"Start believing it," said Kenshin flatly. _I cannot believe the Wolf didn't tell her. Bastard. _"How is it that you didn't know the name of the man you were traipsing half across the country to marry?"

Kaoru blushed, then answered. "I-I was being very stubborn when they told me, and I had not wanted to know his name. I…kind of avoided it every time they tried." She drew herself up and glared again. "But why should I be telling you? You aren't affiliated with myself or my family."

Kenshin sighed, then turned to Sano. "Untie one of the soldiers please, Sano."

Sano moved over to the soldiers, and untied one who seemed to be the captain.

Kaoru spoke. "Captain Ryuichi, I want you to swear on our kingdom that this man is my fiancé, this…Lord Himura Kenshin."

The captain bowed nervously, then answered, "He is my lady. Her majesty, Hajime-san tried to tell you, but she never did. This man is your fiancé."

Kaoru gulped, then sighed heavily. "May I ask why you attacked the soldiers that guard your fiancée?"

"Obviously they were not competent," replied Aoshi.

Kenshin cleared his throat. "Now that that's all cleared up, let's go."

He began walking off, holding a pack behind him.

Kaoru stood gaping. "WE'RE WALKING!"

Sano turned, innocently. "Why yes my lady Kaoru, do you see any horses?"

---

Kaoru was exhausted. She had been moving by sheer force of will for a while now, and had only miraculously been keeping up with the grueling pace set by Kenshin because of the endurance instilled in her during her martial arts training. Sano and Aoshi were both unruffled, keeping up effortlessly.

Sano glanced over at Kaoru, worrying slightly about her state. Her face was paled and showed signs of fatigue, and she looked ready to faint at any given time.

"Oi, Kenshin, I think Missy here is going to faint any time now," said Sano, stopping in his tracks.

Kenshin turned, casting a sharp glance at his bride to be.

"She's fine," he said.

"She looks as if her feet are going to start bleeding, Kenshin! You don't want your bride to be fainting on you and wincing in pain during your wedding do you?" shouted Sano.

"He is right, Kenshin. It is a miracle she was able to keep up all this time in the first place," said Aoshi, his cool exterior showing nothing except for his ice blue eyes that held concern for his new mistress.

Kenshin strode over to Kaoru, and promptly swept her into his arms, carrying her bridal style.

Kaoru, dazed from her fatigue, only blinked up at him for a moment, strangely comforted by the feeling of his arms around her, cradling her body.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her voice strained.

"You look as if you're about to faint, we'll move faster because you won't be going so slow, and I don't want you to be injured during our wedding," said Kenshin, who was increasing his pace, the two behind him following.

Kaoru blinked, accepting these as good reasons, and promptly fell asleep in his arms.

Kenshin glanced down, feeling her body tremble and relax, noting her steady breathing.

_What is it about this woman?_

Sano and Aoshi exchanged knowing looks. Then realizing they had just had a civil moment, quickly turned their heads away from each other.

---

Kaoru woke up to the feel of satin sheets, stretching out her lithe body, turning to look at the rock garden outside her window.

"So Kaoru-hime had decided to rise?" said Kenshin, sitting in a chair by the bed.

She glanced over, startled. "How long have I been asleep?"

"You fell asleep a while ago, but we only got to the inn an hour ago," informed Kenshin.

"Oh."

"I'll have a bath heated for you," said Kenshin, rising to leave.

Kaoru sat, musing over her current situation.

_Kenshin is not so bad…he did carry me all the way here and doesn't even seem to be tired…Sano seems very nice…the tori-atam, and Aoshi…he's very quiet, but I can see he means very well._

Kaoru blushed, thinking about the three. _They're all very handsome…My fiancé, Himura Kenshin…his eyes are beautiful._

She raked her hands through her own raven tresses, suddenly feeling very dirty. She got out of the bed, and padded softly over to the bathroom.

"I had a bath heated, though I feel rather grimy myself," said kenshin, grinning in pleasure when he startled her again.

"You can take one first. You must be very tired, carrying me all the way here," said Kaoru earnestly, moving to step out of the bathroom.

Kenshin stepped into the doorway, blocking her way out.

"You can help me bathe, I'm so tired," said Kenshin grinning, "I promise to help you too." He turned and shut the door, trapping Kaoru in.

Her eyes widened, shocked at the intimacy he was expressing towards her.

"B-But my lord…this is-,"

"You are my fiancée, we will be getting married soon, what's wrong with a little…head start?" said Kenshin, smiling seductively at her.

Kaoru looked towards him, then turned away with an audible squeak when she realized that she had already began disrobing. _He has a very nice chest, well toned and…Stop right there, Kamiya…_

Kaoru heard a splash, and turned to find Kenshin submerged in the pool. He beckoned to her, his molten eyes softening, becoming tinged with a soft lavender color.

She walked hesitantly forward, and sat behind him on the edge of the tub, reaching for the herbal mixture to wash his hair. She poured some out on her fingers, reveling at the softness of his mane.

Kenshin groaned at the feel of Kaoru's fingers massaging his scalp. He turned, catching the girl off guard when he pulled her into a gentle kiss.

She stiffened immediately, causing Kenshin to pull away.

His eyes narrowed at the fear in her eyes. "What's wrong?"

"I-I…" Kaoru stuttered. She sighed softly, "It hurts, doesn't it?"

Kaoru flushed bright red. "It's just that…when I was younger, I used to sneak around the castle all the time…and I accidentally saw some people…the lady was screaming so loud…"

Kenshin smirked. "Somehow, I feel you got the wrong idea…"

"What do you mean?" said Kaoru.

"Screams are not always from pain…" said Kenshin, chuckling.

Kaoru flushed even brighter.

"Would you like me to make you scream…only it won't be in pain," said Kenshin, rising out of the water to come closer to Kaoru.

"Um…err…maybe later?"

Kenshin laughed even harder.

The two walked out fo the bathroom, clean if not a little embarrassed…well Kaoru was.

Kenshin stepped over to the bed, lifting the sheets. He turned, realizing that she hadn't followed him.

Kaoru had stopped in her tracks, flushing a bright red.

"Well, there aren't any rooms unless you'd prefer sleeping with Aoshi or Sano over me," said Kenshin, getting himself under the covers, "And that's honestly not an option."

Good? Bad? Leave me a review! 

_Iri_

_A/N: READ THIS! It has come to my attention that this story is very similar to a story by Scented Candles, called Back Home to You. I apologize, I have not read that story, though I have contacted the author, and if she asks, I will either edit this chapter or delete the story. I hate plagiarism, and if this is truly the same, I will make sure to correct it. It was an honest mistake, please excuse it. I am now waiting for a response from Scented Candles…we'll see what happens. I apologize for the inconvenience._


	2. Chapter 2: To Beat the Weasel Girl

_The Art of Seduction: Chapter 2_

_Lesson II: To Beat the Weasel-girl_

_by Iridian_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, it belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki-sama._

Kaoru awoke feeling incredibly comfortable and rested. She sat up, stretching, then turned to gaze out the window, the sun just beginning to rise.

"Did Kaoru-hime decide to get up now?" said a voice.

Kaoru spun, startled, when she discovered Kenshin leaning against the wall, his arms folded, regarding her curiously.

He has got to stop doing that… 

"Ohayou, Himura-san," said Kaoru, getting out of the bed, then tidying the sheets up.

"Why are you doing that?" said Kenshin sharply.

Kaoru froze, hoping she hadn't done anything wrong. "Because…they are messy, and I was the one who caused it," she said, facing Kenshin.

Kenshin narrowed his eyes. _What kind of princess fixes her own bedsheets?_

"You are a princess…" said Kenshin, trailing off.

"Well…My father was angry at me for constantly making a mess everywhere I went, leaving the poor servants to clean up after me. So, one day, he made me clean up all of my messes, and from then on I've tried to be tidier and clean myself," explained Kaoru.

_What a family…_

Kenshin smiled slightly. "Let's go eat," he said. Before walking to the door, and looking expectantly at her.

She quickly followed, and took the hand that was proffered to her.

---

"Morning Missy! Sleep well?" greeted Sano loudly, a sly smirk on his face.

Kaoru colored, but merely shook her head and replied. "I did sleep well, Sano, through a very restful and uneventful night," she turned away from him to look at Aoshi. "Ohayou Shinomori-san."

"Ohayou Kamiya-dono," replied Aoshi.

They all sat down to eat, the silence pervading until Kaoru jumped up.

She gasped, clasping a hand over her mouth. "Kuso!"

The three turned to look at her, Sano chuckling lightly while Kenshin and Aoshi regarded her with an amused look on their faces.

"What is it?" said Kenshin.

"I forgot about Tsubame! I promised her I would come get her if I could…and look at me now, eating good food in a nice hotel and I haven't even tried to reach her!" moaned Kaoru, hitting herself repeatedly on her forehead.

Kenshin reached out and caught her hand. The sight of her hitting herself unsettled him. "It won't do for you to me mentally-damaged while you're married to me."

"Sano," said Kenshin.

"Hai," replied Sano.

"Go get Tsubame and bring her here. I expect you to be back by nightfall," said Kenshin.

"Ay ay, captain," said Sano, lifting his hand in mock-salute.

He turned and walked out of the room, calling for a servant to fetch him a horse.

"She'll be here before seven o'clock today."

"Kenshin?" said Kaoru.

"Hai."

"May I go out today?"

Kenshin paused, then nodded. "I will accompany you."

Kaoru sprang up happily, giving Kenshin a tight hug before running off to get ready.

Aoshi looked on, then opened his mouth to comment.

"Not a word," growled Kenshin, before getting up and following his fiancée.

Aoshi only continued smirking.

---

The two headed out into the marketplace, Kaoru practically skipping as she walked ahead of him.

Kenshin sighed. _Kami-sama, for such a small woman she can move very quickly…and such endurance…I wonder why she wasn't able to keep up yesterday?_

All of a sudden, a black and blue blur shot at him, knocking the wind out of him. He immediately recovered, his hand on his sword as his eyes glinted gold. Kaoru turned, wondering who was crazy enough to attack her fiancé, a tinge of worry shooting through her veins.

"Himura!" shouted a genki young girl.

Kenshin sighed audibly, then winced slightly, imagining Aoshi's reaction. "Misao." He acknowledged her curtly.

"Hey Himura, where's…" Misao trailed off as she realized that the tall noble looking lady was staring at her.

Misao growled at her. Kaoru merely looked skeptical, not at all intimidated by the small figure in front of her.

Misao whipped out her kunai, throwing five quickly, aiming for the woman. Kaoru noted the kunai flying at her, and with the agility that she had gained from her martial arts, quickly sidestepped them.

Kenshin's eyes had flared gold again when he had seen Misao reach for her kunai, grabbing her immediately.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, weasel-girl?" he snarled, "That is my fiancée."

Misao gulped, looking around for help.

"Uh…I didn't know?"

Kaoru sweatdropped at her pathetic defense, and she quickly spoke in defense of the girl.

"Stop Kenshin, I'm not hurt. She didn't know," said Kaoru.

Misao turned to gape at Kaoru, who looked supremely unruffled.

"I didn't get her?" she said, wondering how she could've missed.

"You better be damn grateful you didn't harm a hair on her body," snarled Kenshin.

_Ok…this girl…Misao, attempts to attack me with kunai…obviously a ninja. She knows Kenshin…she is so familiar with him? He jumps to my defense…I have never seen him so…angry. He goes from ice to flame in a second…blazing gold to light lavender. _

_She is not harmed…that's good. Better for Misao than her anyway. How did she get out of the way? Misao is a skilled ninja, her aim is impeccable. This is something new…Why did it bother me so much though?_

_Shimatta! Thank Kami-sama that lady saved me…so, this is the famous fiancée, eh? Kamiya Kaoru. More than she looks if she dodged my kunai without even breaking a sweat. Oohh…Aoshi-sama, I've found you again!_

Misao suddenly cackled, her voice resounding throughout the village. Small children cowered as their mothers quickly locked their doors.

In the hotel, Shinomori Aoshi groaned and buried his face in his hands before taking another swig of his tea as if it would help dull the forthcoming pain…

Misao walked up to Kaoru, her long braid swinging behind her, bowing her head.

"Hajimemashite, Kamiya-san. Watashi wa Makimachi Misao," said Misao, smiling jauntily at the girl she had so recently tried to impale. Misao managed a weak smile, "Goman nasai about the kunai, Kamiya-san. It was well meant."

Kaoru chuckled. "Well meant? I've never heard of anything with an edge being well meant. It was no problem, Makimachi-san, though you must work on your speed and stealth. I saw you reaching for your kunai a full two seconds before you threw them. Oh yes, call me Kaoru, please."

Misao growled, the insult of her skills infuriating the girl. "Here I am trying to be nice and you just go all sensei on me, huh?"

"I am a sensei, Misao-chan," replied Kaoru simply.

Kenshin merely watched on, amused and curious about his fiancée.

"I, Makimachi Misao, challenge you to a target competition," said Misao grandly, puffing herself up.

"If you like," said Kaoru, still smiling.

She turned to Kenshin, whose eyes had narrowed slightly. "There is no danger Kenshin-kun."

Misao whipped out ten kunai and tossed five to Kaoru, hoping to faze the young woman, who had only caught them with ease earned through practice.

Misao narrowed her eyes, and named a target. "That rabbit right there." She threw the kunai, hitting the rabbit dead on.

She turned to Kaoru triumphantly. Kaoru pointed to a bird that was even farther off. She threw the kunai with practiced grace, the bird falling dead to the ground.

Misao narrowed her eyes, opening her mouth to name another target.

"That is enough," cut in Kenshin, "Misao, you should know when to acknowledge defeat. Perhaps your training has done nothing for you?" He turned, Kaoru following, back to the hotel.

Misao huffed out a breath, but then smiled excitedly. _Aoshi-sama is there!_ She skipped all the way up to them, trailing them happily back to the hotel.

---

When they reached the hotel, Misao immediately took off, trying to find her beloved 'Aoshi-sama'. Both Kaoru and Kenshin smirked, sensing that the tall ninja had effectively hidden his ki, and was now about three miles away in the middle of a forest, meditating.

The two sat down, Kaoru pouring tea for the both of them, enjoying the silence.

"Where did you learn martial arts?" asked Kenshin, breaking the silence.

Kaoru sipped her tea, then answered. "I've been training since I was born, Kenshin-kun. My father was once known as the Wolf of Mibu, and he had many enemies. To leave me defenseless was not an option. I've trained in katana, staff, kodachi, kunai, and basically every other weapon. I even learned how to used the bladed fan. He also taught me jujitsu and kenjutsu, just in case I was unarmed, which I am rarely."

Kenshin regarded her calmly. "Why did you not defend yourself back at the compound?"

"I am no fool. The three of you would overpower me in a second. The only reason I was so tired that day was that I had not been sleeping, and had been exhausted for over a month now," said Kaoru, bowing her head, then added quietly, "I would've had to sacrifice the lives of my father's soldiers. I would not have been able to protect them and myself."

_Since she was born, huh? I shall have to test her._

Kenshin grinned, then said, "How would you like to spar with me?"

Kaoru smiled back, "I would love to."

---

Kaoru had gone up to her room to change into a more suitable outfit, donning a dark green gi and white hakama that she trained in.

Kenshin was in the training room, waiting for her, already clad in a dark blue gi and gray hakama.

"Choose your weapons."

Kaoru nodded, before making her way over to the weapons rack. She chose a set of lightweight kodachi, and slid a heavy twenty-blade metal fan onto a holder on her back. Several kunai she hid on her body, then she turned.

"I'm ready."

Kenshin's eyes gleamed gold.

"Come at me."

Kaoru's foot tapped once, taking off in a blur of green.

_She moves with speed I have never seen before…well on someone other than me. She is skilled…_

Kenshin whirled, blocking the kodachi that had been aimed at his back, the clang of metal deafening.

Kaoru flipped back, calculating her next move. Kenshin sprang, moving toward her with a battoujutsu stance that he was named after.

Kaoru blinked, awed at the perfection of his form, before gritting her teeth, whipping out her bladed fan and sheathing her kodachi to defend.

She managed to block, but was thrown backwards into a wall, but quickly recovered.

_He's amazing…_

Kenshin narrowed his eyes, then prepared for another attack. He lunged, only to be parried by Kaoru's fan, her maneuvering blocking his attacks. He smirked, not even breaking a sweat.

She executed a spinning back kick, aimed at his knees, but was caught. He flipped her over, placing his foot on her back.

"I think I won," he said calmly, allowing her to get up.

She bowed, acknowledging her defeat, her eyes lighting up. "Care to teach me, Himura-sensei?"

Kenshin chuckled. "You do not need training from me, I believe you're very capable yourself. Where did you learn to move like that?"

"My sensei, Seta Soujirou, was known for the Shukuchi, and taught me. Perhaps you're heard of him, the Tenken?" said Kaoru.

"You were taught by the Tenken?" said Kenshin, amazement in his voice.

"You were taught by Seijirou Hiko, that is far more impressive," said Kaoru.

_Fathered by the Wolf of Mibu, taught by the Tenken…this woman is formidable…I like it._

"Tadaima!" came a loud voice.

"I believe Sano is back with your charge," said Kenshin casually.

Kaoru jumped up, running out of the room to find them.

"Tsubame-chan?"

"Kaoru-dono!" cried the little girl, leaping into Kaoru's arms.

"There's the chibi tanuki-chan," grumbled Sano.

"Did she give you trouble, Sanosuke?" said Kaoru, amused.

"She bit me! Not to mention nearly killed us both when she grabbed the horse's reins," said Sano indignantly, leaning up against the wall.

Tsubame winced, going over to Sano, her face apologetic. "Gomen nasai, Sagara-san. I didn't know if you were a nice man or not."

Sano merely grunted. Tsubame backed away, looking hurt. Sano looked up, his eyes defeated.

"Aww kid. Come here," said Sano. Tsubame lit up, giving Sano a hug, before jumping back.

"Kaoru-dono, Sagara-san, it's almost dinnertime. I'll go get some food and tea," said Tsubame walking towards the doorway.

She walked straight into Kenshin, who had just tried to enter the room.

Kaoru cleared her throat. "Tsubame-chan, this is my new fiancé, Lord Himura Kenshin."

Tsubame gazed up at Kenshin, her wide eyes taking in the man. She bowed in deference. "Hajimemashite Himura-dono. Watashi wa Atsuki Tsubame."

"Ohayou Tsubame-chan," said Kenshin, amused.

He moved to let her pass, and she quickly scurried away.

"Sano, this child caused you difficulty?" queried Kenshin, sitting down next to Kaoru.

"She was only a kid, I couldn't defend myself," said Sano.

_Flashback_

"_Tori-atama no baka, where are you taking me?" screamed the girl._

"_I'm taking you to your Kaoru-dono," said Sano impatiently, for the hundredth time._

"_I don't believe you, you big ugly man! Put me down!"_

"_Listen kid, I don't care if you don't believe me. That's where I'm taking you," said Sano._

"_If you hurt Kaoru-dono…I-I'll kick you," said Tsubame, stuttering._

"_I didn't hurt Kaoru, ok kid? She's going to marry my lord, and she will be my mistress as well," explained Sano, softening at Tsubame's tough act._

"_W-well…" Tsubame signed. If this man would take her to her mistress, then so be it._

"_Hey kid, don't worry. I'm not going to hurt you, and you're going to be very happy when we get back home, ok?" said Sano gruffly._

_Tsubame sniffled, and hugged Sano tightly before letting go and hitting him again._

"_You could've told me before, you know," said Tsubame smartly._

_Sano glared._

_End Flashback_

"Hey, is dinner ready?" said Misao, sitting down next to Kaoru.

"Weasel girl? Che, no wonder Aoshi isn't here," said Sano smirking.

"Hey tori-atama, keep your damn mouth shut!" said Misao, her face red.

"It might prove better for you health Sano, if you learned how to shut up," said Aoshi, sitting next to Sano.

"Aoshi-sama! I knew I would find you!" said Misao, her eyes starry.

"Dinner is here," announced Tsubame, followed by several servants who had rushed to do her bidding when she said she was Kaoru's handmaiden.

The servants filed in, serving dinner to the hungry crowd, oblivious to the man who was coming closer and closer, zeroing in on them while they ate…

_I decided to release this chapter a little early, to assure you all that I am not going in the same direction as Scented Candles' story. Hope you all enjoy it!_

_Iri_

**Lady Vite and Leigh 4: I'm sorry about the similarities, I'm planning on changing them, but I haven't had much time to do anything about it. I assure you that I haven't read that story, (well, I have now) and I do not support plagerism, mainly because it's a really disgusting practice. Even though this was all accidental, I do plan on changing it. I have contacted Scented Candles, apologizing, and I hope you guys will see in this chapter that this is in no way going to be the same story as hers. I am honestly extremely new to the whole fanfiction thing and I really am so…Sorry…**

**Thanks to:**

**Gabyhyatt**

**Half-breed-demon-fox**

**Sims are awesome**

**Review!**


	3. Chapter 3: Dangerous Liaisons

_The Art of Seduction: Chapter 3_

_Dangerous Liaisons _

_by Iridian_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, it belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki-sama_

_The knowledge and names of moves performed by any of these characters is credited to **Let It Burn.**_

A lesser man in Aoshi's place might have shed a tear.

"Aoshi-sama?" prompted Misao for the umpteenth time, still happily chattering away while the other occupants of the table had already given up conversation in favor of watching a different form of entertainment.

Aoshi sucked in a huge breath, then slowly set down the bowl and chopsticks he was holding, preferring to hold his steaming cup of tea, in which he sought some comfort and solace.

"Yes, Misao?" replied Aoshi.

"Uhh…actually, after all this time, I don't remember anymore," remarked Misao happily, putting on a blinding smile.

Everyone at the table sweatdropped. Aoshi took another sip of his tea.

Kenshin looked up sharply, then said casually, "We have company."

Kaoru looked startled for a moment, and her gaze snapped to the shoji doors that opened to reveal.

"Konbanwa minna-san," said the Tenken, bowing politely.

"Sou-chan?" cried Kaoru, jumping up and engulfing her friend in a huge hug.

The Tenken merely smiled, giving Kaoru a congenial pat on her back.

Kenshin stood, his gold eyes flashing at the sight that was before him.

"Tenken," he greeted carelessly.

"Battousai," replied Soujirou.

Aoshi, Sano, and Misao were immediately on guard when they heard the name, Aoshi's hands hovering dangerously close to the hilts of his kodachi, Sano clenching his fists, and Misao holding a fistful of kunai in her hand.

Soujirou glanced over at them, his smile still firmly in place. "Makimachi-san, there is no need to hold those. I assure you that you would miss."

Misao growled, bristling at the comment. "What the hell does that mean, Tenken?" She spat the last word out.

"I only say that, because it my student dodged your kunai with no effort, her shishou wouldn't have too hard a time of it, now would he, Makimachi-san?"

Misao let out a hmpph, but knew that he was right. Not that she'd ever admit it aloud.

Kaoru cleared her throat, then ignoring the tension in the room, began to make introductions.

"Sou, this is my fiancé, Lord Himura Kenshin. That is Shinomori Aoshi, Sagara Sanosuke, and Makimachi Misao," said Kaoru, pointing in turn to each person.

"This is my shishou, Seta Soujirou," she said.

"Oh yes, we know him, the Tenken, second in command of the Juppongatana," said Sano viciously.

"And I know you. Himura Kenshin, the Hitokiri Battousai of the Ishin Shishi, Shinomori Aoshi, Okashira of the Oniwabanshuu, Sagara Sanosuke, captain of the Sekihoutai, and Makimachi Misao…a kuroichi," finished Soujirou.

The four bristled, their hands all inching towards their respective weapons.

Kaoru quickly sought a solution.

"Do not draw your weapons," said Kaoru, her commanding voice earning all of their attention. "We are all on the same side. Seta Soujirou's loyalties lie with myself and my kingdom, therefore making his loyalties also to you, my future husband and his allies," said Kaoru calmly.

"Soujirou no longer belongs to the Juppongatana and has since severed all ties with them. I will not tolerate your ostracizing him, his loyalties are proven."

"Kenshin, Sano, Aoshi, and Misao are all my friends and I trust them with my life. They are not a threat," said Kaoru.

The five dropped their hands to their sides, though the tension was still there.

"I suggest you resolve your differences. It is the past, and we are all bound together now." Kaoru turned and slid the shoji doors open, padding down the hallway to her room.

The five were left alone.

---

The four who were at the table took their seats, and Kenshin gestured for Soujirou to sit down.

"Kamiya-san is correct. We are all allies now, through her," said Aoshi, black bangs falling gracefully over his eyes as he looked steadily at the Tenken.

Misao smiled widely, sticking her hand out to the Tenken. "Welcome! Well, you already know my name so…hey! Can I call you Sou-chan?" She smiled brightly at Soujirou, the hitokiri sweatdropping slightly.

Misao managed to carry out the mostly one-sided conversation for entirely too long, until she loudly announced she was tired and skipped off to her room.

The four men were left in the room alone.

"Kaoru…has all the top organizations either with her or against her. Interesting place for a girl like her, ne?" said Soujirou conversationally.

"The Ishin Shishi, the Sekihoutai, the Oniwabanshuu, the Shinsengumi…and the Juppongatana." Soujirou counted off each organization with a finger.

Kenshin leaned forward, his gold eyes guarded. "Why the Juppongatana?"

"Why do you think Saitoh agreed to your demands so easily?"answered Soujirou easily, "Shishio has wanted his hands on that girl to cement his ties to a valid government and the Shinsengumi. Whoever marries Kaoru is next in line for the Kamiya throne."

"Saitoh has the forces to protect his daughter himself, doesn't he?" said Kenshin, his eyes narrowing.

"The Juppongatana is a force to be reckoned with, even after I left them and pledged allegiance to Saitoh. They have a core of elite warriors that are more than enough to take on Saitoh's whole army in a fair fight," said Soujirou, his smile empty.

"So Saitoh sought protection for his daughter in creating an alliance with other factions," said Aoshi, his eyes closed in understanding.

"He pulled us into a war we didn't even know was a threat," said Sano, his voice quietly enraged. "The Juppongatana haven't been active at all lately, we haven't even expected this."

"Do you still want to marry her, Battousai?" said Soujirou, his smile mocking.

Kenshin answered, his voice hard, "I will not give up on her so easily. If war is my choice, then preparations will begin immediately and the wedding will go forth as planned."

"Kenshin, do I have your permission to activate the Oniwabanshuu?" said Aoshi.

"Yes. I want all of our allies informed, Emperor Hajime…and…Seijirou Hiko," said Kenshin, the last name preceded by a heavy sigh.

In spite of everything, Sano grinned. "I can't wait to hear what our shishou has to say, baka deshi."

Kenshin glared at him, then stood.

"Soujirou, you will be lending your intelligence and your skill to our efforts, we will further discuss this later."

Soujirou stood, his voice effectively stopping the Battousai. "Shishio would not stand up so blindly against you if he did not have backing. I have hear rumors that it is headed by none other than the Empress's own brother."

"Do you have knowledge of this group?" said Kenshin, not turning to face him.

"Not yet. I am leaving tomorrow to begin…inquiring after them," said Soujirou.

Kenshin walked away, heading towards his room, and the remaining dispersed soon after.

---

Kenshin's mind was swirling. He knew of the organization that Soujirou had mentioned. The Empress's estranged brother, Yukishiro Enishi, had been implicated in the group. The Jinchuu. According to the latest intelligence, they had recently been joined by the Shimabara, a Japanese-Christian group.

He walked quietly into the bedroom, where he discovered Kaoru sprawled over the bed, the sheets thrown halfway off.

He walked into the bathroom, changing quickly into his sleeping yukata, then maneuvered Kaoru so he could get onto the bed. Almost as quickly, Kaoru rolled back over, her long limbs thrown precariously over his body, her face pillowed on his side.

Kenshin looked down, expelling a breath he didn't know he was holding. His resolve strengthened.

_This is what I am fighting for._

_---_

Soujirou hadn't gone to sleep. Sleep was something he had learned to do without long ago, and tonight he needed to think. He leapt onto the roof of the hotel, leaning back and staring at the stars.

This war would cost many lives. Soujirou expected that the Battousai knew more than he let on, but decided to conceal the more unhappy truths. Soujirou was content with that. Sometimes it is better to go into battle without knowing all the specifics.

It was a monotonous thing, killing. The world was painted in one shade, the sounds were always loud and unappealing. The end was always the same, with variances on the amount of pain. It was not something Soujirou enjoyed, but he excelled at it. He had been always used for this purpose when his skills had first emerged, and his speed surpassed all else. Even the Battousai's god-like speed paled in comparison to Soujirou's Shukuchi. Not that Soujirou's head was getting big. He knew that should he come against the Battousai, he would most likely lose.

The sound of footsteps was at Soujirou's left. His hand crept closer to the hilt of his sword as they came nearer.

He leapt, pinning the intruder underneath him, his sword partially drawn with the blade pressed against the intruder's neck.

"Misao?" said Soujirou, suddenly aware of the identity of said 'intruder'.

"Kami-sama, Sou-chan. You certainly scared me there," said Misao, rubbing her neck experimentally. "Your reflexes are amazing though." She smiled at him, then moved to a more comfortable position, her legs splayed out over the tile roof.

"Couldn't sleep?" said Soujirou politely.

"Nope," replied Misao, "I haven't done anything all day. I'll tell you a secret though." She leaned conspiratorially towards Soujirou.

"I intend to spar Kaoru tomorrow," she whispered.

Soujirou leaned back, his smile still in place. "I would not advise that Makimachi-san. Her skill surpasses your own, she has trained since birth."

"Well…I've trained all my life too! Ninja training, you know," said Misao arrogantly.

"How many weapons can you wield proficiently? You know only of kempo, and have mastered kunai, I believe," said Soujirou. Misao smiled, her arrogance getting the better of her. "You have only been half-trained. Your training has never been completed, you can never seem to finish a fight, which means that you have never learned your style's more complicated attack forms."

"Kaoru has mastered many different styles, some of which I did not teach her. Kamiya Kasshin Ryu was passed on to her by a monk who was the last of that style, she is now the sole master of that. I have taught her my style, the Tenbu no Sai Niyoru Ken, though she will never exceed me in that area. The two of us also learned her father's style, the Mizoguchi Haiitou Ryu," said Soujirou, watching Misao's expression of awe. "She has been trained in weaponry by all the masters in her father's kingdom. She is proficient in katana, staff, kodachi, kunai, bladed fan, and every other blade I have managed to get my hands on and teach her."

Soujirou smiled complacently at Misao. "Do you still want to challenge my tanuki deshi, Makimachi-san?"

"Of course I do! Now I will train until I can exceed her of course!" cried Misao.

Soujirou eyes looked admiring for a split second, before they shut again. "If you wish, Makimachi-san."

"Mou, Sou-chan. Call me Misao! Makimachi-san makes me feel thirty. Besides, if anyone should be called san around here, it should be you. You are my senior by three years," said Misao.

"If you like," said Soujirou, conceding.

"Good," said Misao, again giving him a bright smile, before turning back to gaze at the stars.

The two sat in companionable silence, Soujirou breaking the silence.

"Do you see that start, Misao? The bright one over there?" said Soujirou softly, pointing to one bright pinpoint of light in the east.

"I used to look at that star when I was younger. It always brought me a lot of hope and peace. It still does, actually," said Soujirou, laying his hand back down at his side.

"It's a beautiful star, Sou-chan," said Misao, sensing Soujirou's silence. "Hey, let's name it!"

Soujirou peeked over at the onmitsu in surprise. "Ara?"

"Hm…I guess naming it Sou or Sou-chan would be a tad obvious…hmm…How about…" the young ninja trailed off, not knowing what to name it.

"Ne, how about matsudai?" suggested Soujirou, his eyes veiled.

"Forever…" thought Misao out loud. "Ok, Sou-chan. It can mean that we'll be friends forever. How about that?"

"I would like that very much, Misao," said Soujirou.

"Great!" said the ninja, leaning over to give Soujirou a big bear hug.

The two sat in silence, gazing quietly at the stars.

Soujirou was surprised when he felt warm weight drop into his lap, casting his eyes downward to see Misao pillowed in his lap.

He watched the sun rise, bringing warm colors across the horizon and casting a warm glow on Misao's face, highlighting her light gold complexion. Without a sound, the Tenken gathered her in his arms, and leapt down from the roof to set Misao back into her room.

Creeping quietly in the hallway, he walked into what he guessed was Misao's room, and laid her on the futon, drawing the sheets up around her slender form.

"Okaeri nasai, Misao," said Soujirou, before padding back out into the hallway.

Aoshi stood, leaning against a wall, his blue-grey eyes locking with Soujirou's dark blue ones. The tall silent man nodded slightly, then turned to open the shoji doors to his own room, the sliding them shut. The Tenken went back into his room to seek sleep, but that night he found none.

---

Meanwhile Kenshin heard the meeting out in the hallway, his light sleep broken. He looked at his fiancée, his mind confused.

_Surely no woman is worth such a war. A woman, drawing out the tiger, the wolf, and the panther all out to fight for her…_Kenshin broke off his thoughts as he saw the last vestiges of the moonlight cross Kaoru's face, chased away by the rays of sunlight.

He reached out a hand, brushing her face with the backs of his fingers.

_This woman…is worth it._

_---_

Sano tossed and turned in his sleep, unable to find it.

_This war…will cost many lives. Kaoru has all the strongest factions coming out in a head to head battle for her. It makes me wonder why her. She is an extraordinary woman, but even that is far from warranting a war of these proportions._

Sano sighed, turning his thoughts to better things.

_I wonder how the Megitsune it doing…I bet that little brat Yahiko-chan is driving her insane. Oh sis…what's going to happen to us now?_

Sano got up, but whipped around, in a fighting stance, when the shoji doors to his room opened slowly, revealing little Tsubame.

"Hey kid," said Sano, frowning at Tsubame's slumping figure, "What's up?"

"I can't sleep, Uncle Sano," said Tsubame, rubbing her eyes. "My lady Kaoru is in her room with Uncle Kenshin, and I can't disturb them. Uncle Aoshi looked so tired today…Aunt Misao would wake everyone up, and Uncle Sou wasn't there," explained the little girl.

Sano smiled at the familiar way that she addressed everyone. _The kid really gets to everyone. Even Kenshin and Aoshi like her. She's got spunk, and is so devoted to Kaoru…_

"So kid, what do you want to talk about?" said Sano, sitting down on the tatami mat, leaning against the wall.

Tsubame kneeled, her hands folded neatly in her lap. "Could you tell me about Uncle Kenshin's estate?"

Sano cleared his throat. "Well, Kenshin has got the biggest estate of any lord, and it's all very beautiful, or so my sister says. He owns Kyoto and the surrounding area, and there's this huge stretch of coast. You can cross the ocean there to China, and all sorts of other places…"

Sano continued on, rambling affectionately about the main house, and the people there, before he noticed that little Tsubame had already fallen asleep. He walked over and picked her up, walking out into the hallway and setting her on her futon, tucking her in.

_What a kid. Her parents must be proud…_ Sano grinned, then shook his head.

_I'm not going to be having kids any time soon though…heh, the brat is enough before trying to have my own._

With one last affectionate glance at Tsubame, he left, shutting the shoji doors softly behind him.

Aoshi's voice cut through the silence, his tone low. "Itching to be a father, tori-atama?"

Sano chose to ignore the slur, and waved a hand at Aoshi. "No more than any other guy."

Aoshi nodded, and the two bid each other good night and went into their respective rooms to settle for the night.

_That's right…Sano wants to be a father! There are going to be a lot of alternate pairings in this fic…but I can't tell you, because if I did, it wouldn't be a surprise now would it? Review!_

_Iri_

Lady Vite: Thanks, and no offense taken. If I found something like that, I probably would say something too.

**Koopatroopa2: I've changed the story…but if you don't read it, it's your choice.**

**Reignashii: Thanks…if I get another comment on the similarities, I might give up on the story all together. I won't have myself plagiarizing…argh…that makes it sound so unoriginal…**

**Sims are awesome: Thanks for the advice!**

**Thanks to:**

**Half-breed-demon-fox**

**Tdkl**

**For reviewing!**


	4. Chapter 4: Forest Promenade

_The Art of Seduction: Chapter 4_

_Forest Promenade_

_by Iridian_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, it belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki._

Soujirou had not been able to sleep that night. It was unfortunate, because he would be traveling today, but some things cannot be helped.

With a sigh, he got up, and began neatly making his Western-style bed, making it seems as if no one had slept in it at all.

_Well…technically, no one did _thought Soujirou ruefully, carefully slipping on his tabi and geta and quietly entering the hallway.

"Sou-chan!" came a voice from behind him. He turned to find Misao beaming at him.

"Ohayou Sou-chan," said Misao.

"Ohayou Misao," replied Soujirou, his smile broadening to match her own.

"Arigatou for bringing me back to my room, Sou-chan. I didn't mean to…fall asleep…not that you're boring or anything, I had just finished tracking down the guys, took me a while, but-," Misao was cut off as Soujirou smoothly but into her ramblings.

"Would you like to come eat breakfast, Misao?" said Soujirou.

Misao smiled brightly, then followed the Tenken down the hallway to eat their morning meal.

**Four hours prior…**

Aoshi needed out of this place. Misao was here…a previously implausible thought, but there it was. Aoshi was not one to question his own eyes…and ears for that matter.

He snuck into the hallway, only to find the Tenken carrying his young charge back into her room.

_What is he doing with Misao?_

Aoshi leaned back against the wall, waiting for the Tenken to come back out into the hallway.

_He has changed, I feel it. _

Aoshi gave the Tenken a curt nod, then turned back into his room.

He sat, cursing himself for his inability to leave this place undetected.

Waiting quietly for any signs of noise in the hallway to pass, Aoshi again slid soundlessly into the hallway. He narrowed his eyes as he saw Sano pass into the hallway, little Tsubame-chan cradled in his arms.

Again, he waited patiently for Sano to exit the room, then put a knowing smirk on his face.

"Itching to be a father, tori-atama?" said Aoshi, his voice dropping a note of seriousness into his words.

"No more than any other guy," replied Sano curtly, before turning and getting back into his room.

Aoshi again turned back into his room.

_I can't leave through that damn hallway…_He looked around, and saw the wide open window, a gentle breeze blowing in.

He leapt stealthily through the window, his large frame blending into the background.

He was free!

Now to find somewhere to meditate…

**Morning again…**

"Shinomori-san?" said Soujirou, surprise lacing his voice as he witnessed the Okashira calmly sipping his tea in the dining room.

"Seta," returned Aoshi, pouring himself another cup of fragrant chrysanthemum tea.

"Aoshi-sama!" said Misao, immediately moving to take a seat next to him. She lifted the cover of the teapot, frowning.

"Do you need more tea, Aoshi-sama?" said Misao, already moving to fetch more tea.

"Sit, Misao," said Aoshi, turning his head to look at her.

Misao smiled, then sat down next to Aoshi, her posture surprisingly demure for her nature.

Soujirou felt a slight stab in his heart.

_Misao really cares for Shinomori-san. It is a futile emotion. Shinomori-san obviously sees her as a sister_ thought Soujirou.

He shook his head, wondering why he even cared about the goings-on of the Oniwabanshuu, and continued to smile benignly, though with more effort than usual, trained to ignore pain that hadn't managed to touch him in years.

---

Kenshin awoke to find sunlight streaming through transparent white curtains, a warm body cuddled into his chest, and a pleasant feeling of wholeness. Such feelings had gone unfelt for years, and he found himself unwilling to leave it.

He turned to gaze down at this woman that he had known for a period of time so insignificant comparatively to his life, but had managed to uproot him all the same.

Unfortunately for him, his sleeping seraphim was not the weak image she portrayed, and she rolled, her arms lashing out, managing to hit the legendary hitokiri upside the head.

"Oro…" came the surprised groan from the defenseless hitokiri. Kaoru stirred, her blue eyes opening to Battousai with swirly eyes, swaying slightly from his sitting position.

Needless to say, Kaoru started laughing.

Kenshin tried to pull himself together and give her the hitokiri glare that had paralyzed so many during the Bakumatsu, only managing to look slightly demented.

"Oh, Kenshin, are you," Kaoru paused to catch her breath, "ok?"

Kenshin shook his head sharply, concentrating on Kaoru. "Do I look ok?"

"Oh…uh, gomen nasai Kenshin," said Kaoru, her voice teasing.

Kenshin glared. "All I have to say, onna, is that this better not be happening at any time near to our wedding night. I'd like to be at full capacity." He smirked as Kaoru's face began reddening. Grinning, he continued, "I'm sure you'll want the same thing."

Kaoru's head shot up, shooting Kenshin a half-hearted glare, her cheeks still flaming.

He arched one red eyebrow. "I see you agree with me."

Climbing out of bed and pulling on his dark blue gi, he walked towards the door, only pausing to tell Kaoru to come to breakfast.

As soon as he was out of earshot, Kaoru buried her face in her blankets and moaned loudly.

Kenshin, still in the hallway, grinned.

---

Kenshin walked into the dining room, his expression smug, and sat down and poured himself a cup of tea.

Kaoru soon followed, her cheeks bearing on a slight residue of her previous flush, as she sat down and poured herself tea, as well as refilling Aoshi and Misao's cups, answered by a polite thank you from the both of them.

Misao cleared her throat. "Kaoru, would you like to spar with me today?"

Kaoru turned, surprised, to stare at the young ninja.

"If you like."

Misao and Kaoru stood outside, Misao in her blue Oniwabanshuu ninja uniform, and Kaoru in a dark green gi and black hakama.

The two bowed, in a customary kenjutsu acknowledgement, and disappeared into the forest.

Aoshi, Kenshin, and Soujirou took up lotus positions on the outer rims of the forest, overshadowed by several large bamboo.

Misao's heart was beating uncontrollably. She felt like she was being hunted by something far deadlier than herself.

She was leaping from branch to branch, the leaves obscuring her from view, trying to search for Kaoru's ki. Her search was futile.

Kaoru had been in the same spot, her fighting ki hidden, leaning quietly against a tree as she waited for Misao to find her. She was still in plain view of Aoshi, Kenshin, and Soujirou, and was waiting for Misao to return. Bored, she fiddled with the twin kama she had chosen to fight with today.

She knew that Misao had secreted several kunai along her person, as well as a pair of wakizashi she wielded.

Kaoru had long since tired of the wait. She stuck her kama into the tree she was leaning on, and reached for the longbow she had strapped to her back along with a small quiver of arrows resting at her feet. Idly, she pulled out five arrows, and shot them seemingly targetless into the forest. Her fighting ki flared slightly, warning Misao of her presence.

Misao gasped as five arrows came whizzing in her direction, all five not aimed towards vitals, but instead towards all of her extremities, two grazing her arms, two cutting along her legs, and one whizzing close to her head, shaving off stray hairs that stayed in place long after Misao had left.

Kaoru waited, setting down the bow and quiver, and unsheathing her kama from the tree, shifting into a fighting stance, her right leading and left parallel behind, her knees bent and kama raised in a traditional beginning stance.

She shifted almost imperceptibly to the left as two kunai came at her head, embedding themselves deeply into the tree directly behind Kaoru.

Misao dropped into a crouching ninja stance, noting Kaoru's dismissal of her kunai. She swiftly pulled out another four, and throwing them at Kaoru, darted off to attack from the other side, her twin blades drawn.

Kaoru whirled, dodging the kunai and twisting to meet Misao's attack on her other side.

She used the fourteen inch curved blades to effectively trap Misao's blades, bringing them together and twisting, Misao's wrists immediately letting go to prevent further damage. Kaoru executed a back flip, throwing the blades at the tree behind her, the blades landing parallel to each other, quivering in their new scabbard.

Misao snarled, now unarmed but for the four kunai that remained in her possession.

Kaoru smiled, knowing that Misao was essentially unarmed but for an undetermined number of kunai on her person. She shifted, throwing the two kama from her hand at the tree behind Misao, knowing full well the ninja would be able to dodge.

She sunk into her stance, waiting for Misao to make her move.

Misao leapt forward, her hands aimed in slashing movements towards Kaoru's vitals.

Kaoru leapt back, then twisted forward, landing a flying butterfly kick on Misao's chest while moving to stand behind the ninja, promptly hitting pressure points on Misao's elbows, the ninja dropping the two kunai she held in each hand, startled.

Misao spun, aiming a flying kick at Kaoru's head, Kaoru only ducking and the ninja went sailing over her head.

Misao was infuriated, her blows blocked with ease and carelessness that belied Kaoru's true efforts in the match. Finally, after a seemingly endless dance, Kaoru caught both of Misao's arms in a jujitsu lock behind her back, sweeping her legs out and putting her fingers to the deadly pressure point on the back of Misao's neck.

After a moment, Kaoru let go, standing and helping Misao stand, brushing off the leaves that had stuck to her uniform.

Misao bowed, a mirror-image of Kaoru.

"You were playing with me," accused Misao.

Kaoru nodded, then smiled. "That was my first time handling those kama, they're even better than kodachi for defense."

Misao gaped, her mouth hanging wide open. "You mean…you beat me with such skill…with weapons you had never even picked up before?"

Kaoru nodded in acknowledgement, moving to yank her kama out of the tree.

"Better than kodachi?" said Aoshi, frowning.

Kaoru turned, smiling at the cold man. "Yes, they have the same reach and essentially the same blade, but the curve and the attachment allow or superior trapping and maneuvering capabilities."

"I see my deshi has picked up yet another weapon." Soujirou sighed. "You're horrible at them though. Must you put your shishou through such pain. To see the deshi that I trained so hard reduced to waving kama around pointlessly…"

Kaoru bowed. "Shishou, I wanted to try out a new weapon and have a little fun, that's all."

Kenshin grinned. "First time, huh? No wonder."

Soujirou strode over to Kaoru and plucked the kama from her hands. "You're even holding them weird…," moaned Soujirou.

Misao went and leaned on a tree, awestruck.

Aoshi walked over, staring down intensely at the young girl.

"No need to worry Misao. Kaoru is of a class that is hard to reach," said Aoshi, trying to console the young girl.

"She beat me. With weapons she had never used before, no less." Misao stood, a new determination in her posture.

"Seta-san, do you think you can teach me as well?"

Soujirou turned, surprised.

"I will accompany you on your trip, and we can train on the way," said Misao, set in her decision.

"Misao, my mission will be dang-."

Misao waved her hand, dismissing it. "I am not that bad, Seta-san, and if your student is that good, I am sure that if my skills fail me, you will be ample protection," said Misao, her voice betraying an uncharacteristic seriousness.

Soujirou tried to answer, but Aoshi cut him off.

"He'll be dealing with Jinchuu associates and the Juppongatana, Misao. Not the yakuza you deal with," said Aoshi.

"Misao, I want to take a walk, come with me?" said Kaoru impulsively. Misao followed, her commanding voice brooking no argument.

"We'll be back soon. Take your weapons, Misao."

Soujirou tossed Kaoru the kama and the bow, and the duo walked off into the forest.

---

"Kaoru?"

"Hai."

"Why did you ask me to come with you?"

Kaoru sighed. "Those idiots were going to say the wrong thing." She walked to a large bamboo tree, settling herself at the trunk while fiddling with her kama. She gestured to the spot next to her, the younger girl moving to seat herself.

"Your skills are very good, Misao. However, the skills of the elite, the class that Soujirou, Kenshin, Sano, and Aoshi are a part of…they are of a different level. The Jinchuu and the Juppongatana elite are also of that level. You would not stand a chance." Kaoru said in a matter of fact tone.

Misao ducked her head, understanding. "You would stand a chance, Kaoru-san," whispered Misao.

Kaoru laughed. "I would, but I have been trained by the best. All of the ones in my father's good graces at least." She looked over at Misao.

"You still want to go."

Misao locked gazes with Kaoru, her sea-green eyes blazing. "I want to improve. If I don't compete against the best, how will I ever hope to stand a chance?"

Kaoru grinned. "You're just as stubborn as I am."

Misao looked at her, questioning.

"If I wasn't going to get married, I would've asked to go as well."

Misao suddenly grinned, a slightly hentai expression on her face. "So, Kaoru-san, do you like Kenshin? He's not as handsome as my Aoshi-sama, but all the girls fawn over him. I'm sure he likes you."

"I'm less confident in that than you are, it seems."

Misao shook her head vigorously. "If Aoshi-sama looked at me like Kenshin looks as you, I think I would die and go to heaven!"

Kaoru smiled at the genki ninja.

"I'd rather live," said Kaoru conclusively.

---

Kaoru sighed yet again as Misao tried to convince her shishou to allow her to accompany him. She probably knew she was a liability too…they wouldn't be infiltrating just some common yakuza, this was the Jinchuu headquarters!

"But Sou-chan! I-," started Misao. Soujirou held his hands up, trying to call a truce.

"Misao, I cannot allow you to be in such danger."

"But-."

Kaoru cut in, tired of the argument. "Neither of you will be going."

Both heads turned to her, surprised.

"You will both accompany myself and Kenshin to his estate, where we will be married. You will both be in attendance."

Kaoru got up abruptly, then walked out of the room.

Soujirou smiled at the dumbstruck Misao. "That's my deshi."

He smiled benignly at Misao.

Misao sweatdropped, then smacked Soujirou upside the head.

"Ara!"

---

The next day, the whole party was on the road.

"Hey tori-atama, move!"

"Hey weasel girl, why don't you?"

Kaoru smacked her forehead, wondering why Kami-sama hated her so much.

_Even Aoshi's cool façade looks fake, and Soujirou's smile seems noticeably strained. Kenshin…looks…_

Kenshin turned to see his fiancée staring at him, her startling blue eyes glazed.

He felt his heart speed up.

"Let's move."

Kenshin's amber eyes looked over them all, knowing them all capable enough to keep up.

"I want to get back home, and we're going to be speeding up. Strap on your packs and let's go," said Kenshin, his voice toned down.

Tsubame looked at Kenshin.

"Umm…Himura-san, I don't think I can," said Tsubame, looking at the ground.

She felt herself being lifted up, and settled comfortably on an very high perch.

"Don't worry about it chibi tanuki-chan. I got you," said Sano, grinning at her.

"We'll switch off every twenty miles, Sano," said Aoshi.

They moved.

---

By nightfall, the six had reached the front gate to Kenshin's huge compound.

They walked to the gate, where guards immediately crossed their spears over the gate.

Kenshin walked up, his gold eyes glinting in the dim torchlight.

The guards bowed. "Himura-sama."

Kenshin nodded in acknowledgement as the guards opened the gate to let them in.

_Chapter 4! I'd like to thank all of you for your support! I hope all of you liked the fight scene, since I've been taking martial arts for…my whole life, and I specialize in all kinds of weapons. Hope you all liked the chapter! Review!_

_Iri_

**Reignashii: It's definitely going to stay Battousai x Kaoru, but all the other pairings are alternate…I think I'm going to be surprising some people…**

**Moonstarduchess: Thanks!**

**Kimahrigirl: I'm not good with the whole story-starting thing, it's much easier once I get the ball rolling. Thanks for the review!**

**DakBug: Thanks! I love hearing that…music to my ears and inspirational too, LoL. **

**Thanks to:**

**Lovely pinay**

**Half-breed-demon-fox**

**Tkdl**

**Iron chefs lady**

**For reviewing!**


	5. Chapter 5: Meeting the Family

_The Art of Seduction: Chapter 5_

_Meeting the Family_

_By Iridian_

_-Pay no attention to the truth behind the smokescreen.-_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, it belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki._

The six immediately headed into the main house, guards subtly watching the perimeter of the compound, and keeping an eye out for the new guests.

Kenshin strode into the main house, through the large dark wood doors inside, leading them into a tastefully decorated foyer, a large sweeping staircase evident from the front entrance.

"Kenshin?" came a voice from another part of the house.

Soon afterward, the owner of the voice, a tall graceful woman with long, silver hair came into the foyer.

"Kenshin, I'm so glad to see you," said the woman, giving Kenshin a hug, then stepping back.

Following her, two elegant looking women followed, yawning slightly.

The one with midnight black hair and violet eyes perked up when she saw him, rushing over to give him a hug.

"Where were you? We came and Nara told us you were out," informed the small girl, pursing her lips.

Meanwhile, the woman with inky black hair and gold eyes had sat on one of the chairs positioned around the foyer, her head cradled in her hands.

With an audible groan, she lifted her head up. "Kenshin, you know I would give you a hug, but the smart one over there dropped a whole pile of books on my head this morning, and it is still throbbing."

Kaoru stood up, narrowing her eyes as she moved closer to Kenshin in a blatantly possessive gesture.

"Watashi wa Kamiya Kaoru," she said formally.

Kenshin began introducing the women.

Gesturing to the silver haired woman with mercurial grey eyes, he said, "This is my cousin, Endo Inoe. She is my first cousin, the daughter of one of my mother's three sisters."

He pointed to the one with black hair and violet eyes next. "This is also my first cousin, Niikura Nari."

Lastly, he pointed to the one with black hair and gold eyes identical to Kenshin's own. "This is my other cousin, Arai Tsukinoyo."

He drew Kaoru close to him, his arm curling around her waist. "This is my fiancée, Kamiya Kaoru, daughter of Emperor Hajime Saitoh."

The four women bowed, murmuring, "Hajimemashite."

Kenshin turned, gesturing to the dark-haired boy to his left. "This is Seta Soujirou, Kaoru's shishou."

If the three women knew anything of the Tenken, they showed no reaction, only politely bowing in acknowledgement of the boy's polite greeting, returning on of their own.

"What, no greeting for me?" said Sano, his brown eyes twinkling.

Nari turned, sticking her tongue out at him in a decidedly unladylike manner. "You are not worth the effort, Sagara-san."

Tsukinoyo propped her head up, gold eyes strikingly similar to Kenshin's own looking amusedly at Sano. "Konbanwa, tori-atama, done anything note-worthily stupid lately?"

"Tsukinoyo," admonished Inoe.

"I think the books messed her up more than she thought," said Sano, sticking his nose up in the air.

"Listen you-," said Tsukinoyo, but then cut herself off when she noticed the little girl perched on his shoulder.

"This is Tsubame," said Sano, setting the girl on the ground.

"Hajimemashite, Inoe-dono, Nari-dono, Tsukinoyo-dono." Tsubame bowed, a slight blush on her cheeks.

"Hajimemashite Tsubame-chan," replied the women.

"You all must be very tired, I'll show Kaoru and Tsubame to their room," said Inoe, turning.

"She will be staying in the chambers adjoining mine tonight, then after the wedding she'll move into my rooms," said Kenshin.

"Tsubame will be staying in the same wing as Yahiko," said Kenshin.

Almost on cue, a small boy came hurtling around the corner.

"Oi, tori-atama, you're back? Kenshin, Aoshi, Misao!" said Yahiko, stopping next to Nari and sticking his tongue out at Sano. Yahiko turned, looking briefly at Kaoru. "Who's she?"

"Yahiko, this is my fiancée, Kamiya Kaoru," said Kenshin.

"Oh. Gomen Kenshin, you have to marry busu," said Yahiko.

"Konbanwa, Yahiko-chan. I didn't think I'd ever see you again," said Kaoru, venom lacing her voice.

Yahiko flushed. "DON'T CALL ME CHAN, BUSU!"

Kaoru smirked.

"When did you meet Yahiko, Kaoru?" said Kenshin.

"Yahiko-chan," said Kaoru, emphasizing chan, "Was once caught in my kingdom for pickpocketing. The penalty is having your hand chopped off."

All heads turned to her as she continued with her story, Yahiko only letting out a half-hearted snort.

_Flashback_

_Yahiko was thrown into the throne room of the Emperor. _

"_What has this boy done?" said Saitoh, puffing away on a ancient form of cigar._

"_He was caught pickpocketing, your majesty," said the soldier, cuffing Yahiko. He fell to the floor, still glaring at the emperor._

"_Was he? Well, you know the penalty-." Saitoh was cut off as his daughter burst into the room._

"_Father, wait! You can't do that, he's only a little kid," said Kaoru, gesturing to Yahiko._

"_He was doing it to feed himself, I mean look how skinny he is!" Kaoru continued on rambling, her father and mother looking amusedly at her._

_She finally noticed the soldier holding Yahiko to the floor. _

"_Let go of him, soldier," said Kaoru, a commanding tone in her voice. The soldier didn't move._

_Saitoh got up. "Did you hear the princess's orders?" he roared. The soldier dropped Yahiko, immediately backing away._

"_We'll let him go. But, Kaoru, we can't allow him to stay in the kingdom. People will begin to think they can get away with it," explained Saitoh, sitting back down in his chair._

"_I understand, otou-san. I'll find a way," said Kaoru. She began walking away, but then stopped and turned around. _

"_Well, Yahiko-chan? Let's go," she said._

"_Don't call me chan, busu," muttered Yahiko._

_Kaoru whacked him on the head._

"_Oi, what was that for?" yelled Yahiko._

"_I'm not deaf, Yahiko-chan!"_

_End Flashback_

"I gave Yahiko enough provisions and money to get him to the nearest lord's estate, so he could get a job. I sent him out the next day with a merchant friend," explained Kaoru.

"Yours, was the nearest estate," said Yahiko.

"I see," said Kenshin.

"What's all this noise?" boomed another voice.

"Shishou?" said Kenshin.

Seijirou Hiko came around the corner, customary white mantle billowing around his shoulders.

Hiko strode over, then promptly cuffed Kenshin over the head.

"You woke me up, baka deshi," explained Hiko calmly. He surveyed the group.

Kenshin scrambled to introduce Kaoru, still glaring balefully at his master. "This is my fiancée, Kamiya Kaoru."

"Hajimemashite, Hiko-san," said Kaoru, bowing.

"You're my baka deshi's woman, huh? Heh, I feel sorry for you. If you ever tire of him, you can come to me," said Hiko, his head tilted arrogantly.

Kenshin's eyes flashed. "She's mine." Kenshin inclined his head slightly to his master.

"Konbanwa, minna-san," said Kenshin, before sweeping off, leading Kaoru up the stairs.

"Did he bed her already or what?" remarked Hiko casually, "She must be good if he likes her that much."

The rest of the group sweatdropped.

"The rest of us think there might be something other than physical attraction," said Soujirou.

Hiko turned his eyes on the young man. "Nice to see you again, Tenken."

"You too, Hiko-san," said Soujirou, his voice slightly mocking.

"Our students are going to be getting together and reproducing," said Hiko.

"Does it frighten you too?" said Soujirou, smiling.

"Do I look like I need another baka deshi?" said Hiko dryly.

"I'm going to bed," announced Misao, walking off to her bedroom. "Hey, Sou-chan, I'll show you where your room is, it's in the same wing as mine!"

She frowned when Soujirou only looked at her, head cocked to one side.

She ran over, grabbing his wrist and hauling him off.

"Well, come on!"

Hiko shot Soujirou a look as if to say _Sou-chan?_

"Konbanwa, Misao, Sou-chan," said Hiko, not bothering to conceal his amusement.

Irritation flashed quickly into the Tenken's eyes, before vanishing completely.

"Oi, Yahiko-chan, I'm going to bed. Show Tsubame her room will you?" Sano walked off, his hands held casually behind his head.

Inoe, Nari, and Tsukinoyo followed, leaving to go to bed. Tsukinoyo only paused for one moment, shooting Yahiko and Tsubame an approving glance, then following her cousins.

Aoshi nodded, before sweeping off in another direction.

Hiko smirked, before loudly telling Yahiko to protect Tsubame-chan because it was late, then left.

Yahiko turned to Tsubame.

"Uh..err…follow me then," he stammered, turning around and running ahead to hide his embarrassment.

Tsubame smirked. Sano's rubbing off on her…

---

Hiko snuck quietly back to another building on the premises, keeping completely quiet. He snuck into the building, slinking through the hallways with practiced grace.

"Hiko?"

Hiko cursed loudly.

A dark haired woman walked out of the room that appeared to be Hiko's destination.

"Tadaima," called Hiko.

Tae stepped out of the shadows, a frown gracing her features.

"You kept me awake for half the night, worrying about you, you big oaf, though I don't know why, as if you could be harmed by any of those half-asses that come around here and call themselves assassins." Tae snorted, then pointed accusingly at Hiko.

"Of course they couldn't. I'm Seijirou Hiko, thirteenth master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu," said Hiko. His cape flared out as he settled into his obligatory heroic stance, his hair flying out and framing his face.

"Hiko, your arrogance astounds," said Tae.

The wind that conveniently whipped his hair and cape into a picturesque frenzy died suddenly.

"But you love me anyway, Tae," said Hiko, smirking as he hauled Tae up onto his shoulder.

"I still don't get why either," said Tae, rolling her eyes.

Hiko set her down, the moonlight highlighting his long silky black hair. He leaned down, meeting Tae's lips in a passionate kiss. Tae felt her knees weaken.

"Ok, I remember," said Tae weakly, leaning against Hiko heavily.

"Of course you do," said Hiko. His eyes turned serious as he swept her up in his arms. "Aishiteru."

---

Nari walked quietly back to her room, reveling in the quiet that she so rarely embraced.

"Oyasumi nasai, Nari. Why are you up so late?"

Nari turned, immediately identifying the voice.

"Captain Souzou." Nari raised a surprised eyebrow at the captain.

"Kenshin just came back, with Aoshi and Sano, and his new fiancée," replied Nari, easily falling into step with Souzou as they walked the corridors.

"New fiancee?" said Souzou.

"Kami-sama, Souzou, you may not pay attention to any of the gossip, but you must know of Kenshin's impending marriage to the Kaoru-hime," said Nari. She sighed, exasperated.

Souzou scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "Only people that gossip have these incredibly high voices." He raised his voice to a high-pitched squeak to emphasize his point, putting on the airs of a snobbish noble.

"Well, I hope that my voice isn't so bad," said Nari, sticking her nose in the air.

"Not in the least," replied Souzou.

---

"Sou-chan?"

"Hai, Misao."

"Are you going to be staying here now that Kaoru is?" Misao stopped walking, tilting her head quizzically at him.

"I don't know," replied Soujirou. Misao deflated slightly. "But I'm sure I will be spending a lot of time here."

"That's great! We can train together, and then maybe Aoshi-sama will notice me and-." Misao continued on with her rant, her eyes becoming starry.

Soujirou's omnipresent smile wavered.

The expression flickered briefly.

"I am sure Aoshi-san already notices you, Misao," said Soujirou.

He smiled cheerfully at her and the two continued down to their rooms.

---

"Oyasumi nasai, Inoe," called Tsukinoyo, walking away from her sister.

She walked down the hallway, stopping at a small rock garden.

"Oi, Tsu-chan," called Sano.

"Oyasumi nasai, Tsu-chan," said Megumi, rolling her eyes at her brother, then moving to sit next to Tsukinoyo.

She turned to look at Megumi, her smile burdened.

"I'm ready."

Megumi nodded, pulling out the medicine kit that was placed at her feet. She withdrew a small scalpel, and various medicines and bandages.

Tsukinoyo pulled down one end of her yukata, baring her shoulder.

A deep, bleeding gash was on her shoulder, several layers evident. Healed over and cut over again every night, the scarring was immense and marred the otherwise smooth skin.

Megumi took out the scalpel and began cutting away the stitches she had put in the night before, and setting to work cleaning it and restitching, finishing off with a clean white bandage.

"Let's hope it he-."

Tsukinoyo waved her hand.

"It will never heal, Megumi." She stood, a fine tremor in her stance the only indication of the pain of the procedure that she endured every night.

"Oyasumi nasai, Megumi, Sano." She turned and walked away into the darkness.

Megumi sighed heavily as she saw Tsukinoyo pass out of earshot.

"I wish there was something I could do about this. As a doctor, and knowing that whatever I do it will never leave her…" Megumi trailed off.

"She doesn't deserve it," said Sano, his face solemn.

The two stood in companionable silence.

"I'm tired, I'm going to bed," announced Megumi, standing.

"Oyasumi nasai, oto-chan."

"Oyasumi nasai, onee-chan."

Aoshi and Inoe dropped down silently from their perch on a sakura in the rock garden.

Aoshi regarded Inoe silently.

"How was your trip, Aoshi?" said Inoe, her grey eyes looking at a patch of moonlight.

"It went well."

The monosyllabic response seemed to appease Inoe.

"It will heal, someday," said Aoshi, his blue eyes unreadable.

"Let us hope," said Inoe, her silvery white hair blowing in the wind.

---

Kenshin walked quickly through the hallways, leaving Kaoru scrambling to keep up with him. Finally, he reached a set of ornate shoji doors. He slid them open, and then beckoned for Kaoru to follow.

The room was large and spacious, blending Western and Japanese styles. A balcony overlooked a koi pond and garden, and a large Western style bed sat in the center. A small mahogany writing desk was on one end, with a matching ink set sitting on top. Several ornate screens with black lacquered wood and gold hinges were in the four corners of the room, one right next to a small shrine.

Kenshin gestured to another door to the right of the bed.

"That door leads to my room, where you will be staying after the wedding," said Kenshin.

Kenshin turned and began walking towards the door to his room.

"Wait!"

He stopped in his tracks, then turned and looked at her, his eyebrow raised.

"I uh…just wanted to say thank you for everything and umm…"

Kaoru continued rambling an indistinct apology, but Kenshin cut her off.

"Don't worry about it darling, I'll be thanking you soon enough." He grinned ferally at her.

"Oyasumi nasai, Kaoru-anata," said Kenshin, his voice low and teasing.

Kaoru blushed bright red at the endearment.

_Demo…he'll be thanking me?_

_Sorry for the long wait! Hope you guys like the chapter. Admittedly, I was very hesitant about adding in OC's, but I hope you guys find them not…clichéd or anything. Review!_

_Iri_

**Reignashii: **Good luck with whatever style you take, all I know is that it took me years to get my black belt…LoL.

**Kimarhigirl: **Thank you, dear. bows I try.

**Royal blueKitsune: **I have to say that my story pales in comparison to a lot of those really great Rurouni Kenshin stories, but there are still some. Linay actually stands out notably in my mind. Great writer.

**Sulou: **I really hate it when people make Kaoru so one-dimensional. Obsessed with Kenshin, a little psychotic…and that's it. I definitely think there's more to the tanuki-chan. ;)

**Thanks to:**

**Happyangel123**

**Iron chefs lady**

**Sims are awesome**

**For reviewing!**


	6. Chapter 6: Apprehension

_The Art of Seduction: Chapter 6_

_Apprehension_

_by iridian_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, it belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki-sama._

"My lady, you must get up, we must prepare for your wedding," exclaimed the maid, already bustling around Kaoru's room.

Kaoru sat in shock.

_Wedding…I'm getting married today. __To Himura Kenshin. __Kami-sama, I didn't know it would come so soon…_

Inoe, Tsukinoyo, and Nari filed into the room, smiling when they saw Kaoru's half-dazed, disheveled body propped halfway up on the bed.

"Ohayou, Kaoru-san. We all came to help you prepare," said Inoe, looking pointedly around the room. "It looks as if you'll be needing our help."

Tsukinoyo and Nari moved to the bed, hauling Kaoru off the sheets and into the bathroom.

Inoe sighed. "We have only just started."

Once inside the bathroom, Nari and Tsukinoyo dunked Kaoru into the water, both laughing when the princess surfaced, sputtering.

"Kuso, what did you do that for?" said Kaoru, rubbing the water out of her eyes.

"You weren't up. Now you are. It worked, ne?" said Tsukinoyo, a small smirk evident on her face.

Kaoru began laughing herself, the tension relaxing between the three.

"We'll leave you to your bath. You don't need help do you?" Nari giggled, then the two cousins left the room.

About fifteen minutes later, Kaoru emerged from the bathroom, her pale skin clean and her long black hair sleek and dripping water.

"Ah, Kaoru-san-."

Kaoru cut her off. "Please, call me Kaoru."

Inoe smiled, and then nodded. "Kaoru. I thought you would like to see your wedding kimono."

The kimono was finely woven black silk, golden sakura branches blossoming from the hems, and an invisible wind blowing the blood-red sakura flowers all over the fabric. The black silk was shot through at times with a strand of gold, the light catching onto it and illuminating the fabric. The dark red sakura pooled also at the bottom, delicate gold lining the rims of the petals, the pistils that ran out of the flower also gold. Her sleeves were, at the hem webbed with an intricate lacy pattern of gold and red, and the same pattern at the neckline as well.

The obi was a heavy length of patterned black and gold silk, a black stripe in the middle surrounded by gold stripes.

Kaoru gasped.

Inoe smiled at her reaction. "As for the dark red and gold, those are Kenshin's colors, so you'll be a walking sign that screams 'I belong to Kenshin.'"

Kaoru blushed, her head bending slightly and her hair moving to cover the red of her cheeks.

Inoe clapped her hands together, pleased that everything was now in order.

"Let's get started then!"

---

Kenshin sat in his bed, awake, but his eyes still closed.

"Kenshin! Oi, wake up!"

Kenshin's gold eyes snapped open, narrowing in annoyance at the disturbance.

After a minute, Sano began pounding on the door. The door, being a shoji door and not otherwise impervious to a master of the Futae no Kiwami, abruptly disintegrated.

Sano had the grace to look slightly sheepish.

"Uh…ohayou?"

Aoshi stepped in through where the door was, calmly picking his way so as not to get dust on his boots.

"The tori-atama here wanted to wake you up so we could go have fun on your last day as a bachelor."

Kenshin glared at Sano. "We're going to go party at 11 o'clock in the morning?"

Sano scratched his head sheepishly. "Well, I thought we could go grab some food first?"

Aoshi and Kenshin both rolled their eyes, Kenshin resignedly getting out of his bed.

"Let's go eat at the Akabeko," said Sano.

---

"Ah…you look beautiful," said Inoe, stepping back to admire her handiwork.

Both Arai and Tsukinoyo nodded in agreement.

A knock came on the door.

"Come in," called Nari.

Megumi stepped into the room, nodding in approval when she saw Kaoru.

"She cleans up very nicely for being such a tanuki-chan," she said.

Kaoru's face twisted into a slight snarl, about to pounce on the kitsune-sensei.

The four women merely watched in amusement as Kaoru found it difficult to walk at a fast pace in the kimono, let alone beat up Megumi in it.

Kaoru sighed. Her revenge would have to wait. "So, what are you four wearing?"

Inoe walked over to a kimono rack in Kaoru's closet, pulling it out.

"This is mine." She pointed to a pure white silk kimono, pale purple watermarked irisies dotting the fabric. She had a matching pale purple obi, shot through with silver silk.

She pointed in turn to the others.

Tsukinoyo's kimono was a pale silver fabric, several gold chrysanthemums embroidered on the bottom and on the sleeves. Her obi was solid black silk.

Nari's kimono was a pale inkwashed blue, an ink painted scene of a small village on the mountains depicted in a Chinese calligraphic style that melted into the pale blue sky that was the rest of the kimono. Her kimono was a metallic slate grey.

Megumi's kimono was a dark red, the bottom depicting a koi pond filled with orange, gold, and red fish. Her obi was a soft shade of orange.

Kaoru gestured to the last kimono on the rack. It was a deep emerald green with embroidered black and gold birds seemingly taking off the fabric. A matching green and gold obi accompanied it on the rack.

"Who is that for?"

"It is Misao's. We always have to track her down and tranquilize the girl to get her into her kimono," replied Megumi dryly.

Kaoru laughed.

"She's such a weasel…"

---

Kenshin, Sano, and Aoshi had managed to reach the Akabeko and walked inside, sitting themselves down at their usual table.

Tae walked out, presumably to greet her new customers, but her bright smile melted into a scowl when she saw them.

Sano looked confused, leaning over to whisper, "Guys, I did pay off my tab for last week, right?"

Neither of them got the chance to answer as Tae strode over, a disapproving expression etched on her face.

"And what do you think you're doing here?"

Sano answered, hesitantly. "We're eating?"

"What makes you three think you can just sit yourselves down anytime you please?" said Tae, her scowl growing.

"Because we're friends?" said Sano, his brow furrowed in confusion.

"Then why is it I don't hear about it when you all just traipse off and don't say a word? And then I don't see you until you three freeloaders come for a free meal?" shouted Tae, her eyes narrowed in a glare.

"We did send someone to tell you," said Aoshi.

"Who was this invisible messenger?"

"We told Hiko to tell you," replied Kenshin.

Tae calmed down. "And why were you all going off anyway?"

"To pick up my fiancé," said Kenshin.

Tae visibly brightened. "Fiancé?"

Sano perked up slightly. "Can you feed us now?"

Tae didn't hear. "I have to go help her out!"

She dashed off towards the door, pulling off her apron and setting it aside, while yelling at some girls to take care of the Akabeko while she was gone.

"Wait…" said Sano, drooping.

"What about my food?"

---

The girls were just starting to put Kaoru's hair into a traditional style when the door popped open, revealing a beaming Tae.

"Tae?" said Nari, raising an eyebrow at her abrupt arrival.

"I'm here to help! Hajimemashite Kaoru, watashi wa Sekihara Tae," she said, her words rushed.

"I'm so glad that Kenshin will finally have a wife to ground him, I mean the man is a one-man traveling circus for Kami-sama's sake," ramble Tae, her bright smile still firmly in place even though Kaoru looked confused and a touch frightened.

Finally, Tae stopped speaking, and Kaoru quickly cut in.

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Tae-san, for your praise, even though it is not true. Kenshin is going to be getting the short end of the stick in this marriage, I'm afraid," said Kaoru, princess mode kicking in as she thought of the most diplomatic answer she could.

"Nonsense. And call me Tae, I'm practically going to be your stepmother after all," cried Tae.

Kaoru furrowed her brow. "I beg your pardon?"

"Well, Kenshin's family was once overthrown by a man, who stole everything he had and left the little boy helpless and alone. My husband, Hiko, found him and took him in, training and aiding him until eventually Kenshin gained the skill and support needed to win back his estates," said Tae.

"We were not exactly the most fortunate family in the beginning, but we fought it through and look where we are now!" said Nari, trying to lighten the mood, her light tone forced when she saw the sad expression on Kaoru's face.

"And we had a lot of fun beating back those damn Juppongatana too," added Tsukinoyo.

Kaoru's mind was spinning. _Kenshin had had his estate stolen from him by the Juppongatana, and apparently his cousins are good enough fighters to have aided him in their defeat? And Kenshin managed to not kill Soujirou when he saw him at the hotel, even though he was part of it?_

"Enough of the past. It's time for the present," said Inoe, smiling gently at the whole party, her mercurial eyes carefully blank, her smile not reaching the depths of her eyes.

Kaoru's eyes narrowed slightly. _If they want to keep it from me for now, I will concede. Now is not the time to ask questions. After the wedding…I will know._

Kaoru smiled, her muscles merely moving through the motions.

"Let's continue, shall we?"

---

Sano had long since devoured his share of the food, and the waitresses were hard pressed to continue feeding the small black hole that had made its appearance in the Akabeko.

"How is it that he doesn't asphyxiate?" said Aoshi, quietly musing while he sipped his green tea.

"He's probably not breathing. It's probably why he's so slow, he constantly cuts off his own air supply and kills brain cells," replied Kenshin, his golden eyes narrowed slightly in thought.

At that precise moment, the thirteenth master of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu decided to come into the scene, cuffing Sano on the back of the head and standing next to their table.

Sano abruptly began turning vaguely blue, his face covered in random food bits as he desperately tried to breathe.

Hiko sighed in annoyance, cuffing him again, a small piece of food dislodging itself from Sano's mouth as the master of the Futae no Kiwami managed to breathe again.

Hiko scoffed, amazed at the ignorance even tier one fighters could display.

"I hear your getting married to your woman today, baka-deshi," said Hiko, his narrow brown eyes twinkling.

"Hai, I am shishou," said Kenshin.

"Then what are you doing here?" replied Hiko.

"Sano thought we should go out to celebrate," replied Aoshi, casting a faint look of disgust towards the man who had promptly began gorging himself again once he regained his ability to breathe.

Hiko began laughing, a deep, throaty sound.

"You followed….the rooster's…idea?" got out Hiko, his sentence punctuated by laughing.

Kenshin and Aoshi watched stoically as Hiko found his own jokes immensely amusing, and continued to laugh heartily.

Sano noticed, vaguely, that he was being insulted, but then his next order of sukiyaki and tempura came and all was forgotten.

"How is it that they don't asphyxiate?" said Aoshi, back to sipping his green tea.

Kenshin placed an order for their strongest sake.

"Hiko's arrogance provides enough hot air for his lungs to operate on," replied Kenshin.

Two minutes later, Hiko was still laughing, Sano was still eating, and Aoshi was still sipping his green tea.

Kenshin was on his second bottle.

---

The five women stepped back, admiring their work.

Kaoru walked slowly over to the looking glass that was on the opposite side of the room, eager to see what she looked like.

She saw a princess.

A pale face was set with two sapphire blue eyes, long raven hair swept into a complicated up-do with various ornaments sticking out, a long red and gold dragon twining around her hair, its head dangling down next to her ear, its roar frozen. Several crystallized scarlet chrysanthemums were nestled in her hair, the blood red petals gilded in gold.

The kimono was as perfect as she imagined, the obi tied into the traditional wedding knot.

Kaoru held her hand up to her face to hide her gasp.

The five women smiled in silence, moving off to prepare themselves.

_This is me? I've never looked like more of a princess…Kenshin's princess._

Kaoru turned.

"Where is Misao?"

Tsukinoyo and Nari looked at each other mischievously.

"The hunt." The two both grinned predator's smiles, their eyes glinting gold and purple.

Kaoru watched with an eyebrow raised as the two disappeared from the room, sensing their ki scaling the walls, and then…nothing.

"They mask their ki?" said Kaoru.

"We all do," replied Inoe.

With this cryptic statement, Inoe knelt gracefully on a tatami, patiently awaiting her sister's return with an irate Misao.

Kaoru knelt next to her, the elder of the two pouring tea and inviting Megumi to sit.

Kaoru had just took the first sip of her tea when the shoji door burst open, the two cousins dragging Misao in.

"I will not be dressed up!" declared Misao defiantly.

Kaoru smiled indulgently at the girl.

"I heard that Aoshi thinks you look very pretty in green, Misao," said Inoe, looking pointedly at the emerald green kimono on the rack.

Misao still looked defiant.

Kaoru decided to go for a new tactic. "Sou-chan told me he thought you would look very nice in the kimono he picked out for you, he had hoped that you would wear it."

Misao stopped moving, thinking it over. She sighed.

"Just tie me up in the stupid fabric and be done with it," said Misao.

Four heads spun to look at Kaoru.

Misao's scowl reappeared.

"Oh stop looking at her. Sou-chan and I are best friends," said Misao, narrowing her eyes at the group.

"And nothing more than that!"

At that time, someone was lurking on the roof, his steps silent and swift.

The figure dropped down soundlessly, trying to calm the slight flare in ki that had escaped in a sudden flare of emotion. The expression on his face was indiscernible, all traces of forced emotion gone, only his eyes betraying raw emotion.

Kaoru gazed out the window, her eyes sad.

_What have you done to him?_

_---_

Sano had finally finished eating, and announced, "Have to leave room for tonight, right?"

Hiko had very slowly wound down, more because he thought it was about time to start on his other hobbies. Namely, drinking, making fun of his baka deshi, making pottery, spending time with his wife, etc. Seijirou Hiko was a busy man. He flipped out a small pocket-sized notebook, and crossed off number one, laugh at lower life forms.

Kenshin and Aoshi looked at the two, wondering at their own bad luck.

_Better not say anything. The exertion required to answer might make Sano hungry again. Then Hiko would start laughing._ Aoshi shook his head, trying to rid himself of these thoughts. _I really must go and meditate more._

Abruptly, Kenshin stood.

"I would love to stay," he began, his voice dripping with sarcasm, "But I have a wedding to go to."

He stood, walking slowly to the door, his head held high, and his face leaking menace and command.

As soon as he was out of sight of the Akabeko, he turned, looking suspiciously around him, and sped off, using his god-like speed, his body not even leaving a blur behind.

_Sorry about the long wait, but I honestly haven't had any time. Review! Ja ne until next time!_

_Iri_

**Thanks to:**

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**For reviewing!**


	7. Chapter 7: Three Cups of Sake

_The Art of Seduction: Chapter 7_

_Three Cups of Sake_

_by Iridian_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, it belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki._

Kaoru stood nervously in all her finery, anxiously twisting a fine black silk handkerchief around and around in her hands.

"Stop messing around with that, you'll ruin the fabric," said Megumi, her narrow eyes amused.

Kaoru immediately stopped, untwisting the handkerchief and smoothing out the wrinkles while shooting a glare at Megumi.

Inoe, Nari, and Tsukinoyo were all sipping tea. The fragrant scent of chrysanthemums seeped out of the teapot, thin spidery wisps of smoke floating into nothingness.

Tae and Misao were sitting, their heads propped up on their hands.

They were all waiting for the inevitable.

The shoji door slid open with a snap, a timid maid stepping in, bowing her head in deference to the higher-ranking women inside.

"It is time."

Kaoru got up, drawing in a breath as she stood. As she followed the maid, she noted with vague interest that the snap of a shoji door closing sounded almost identical to the snap of a sword being sheathed.

Tae stood and followed Kaoru out, followed by Inoe, Nari, and Tsukinoyo, and Misao and Megumi bringing up the rear.

_Marriage…Lady Himura Kenshin…His._

Kaoru walked slowly down the hallway with the dignified steps of someone who knows who they are.

Take small steps, but not too small.

Make them wait, but not too long.

Be yourself, but only the part that is a princess.

Good, you're well on your way.

---

Kenshin waited in the marriage room, a small space that had been blessed and prepared for the joining of two people.

The room was as fine as the rest of his estate, fine wooden tatami on the floors, black lacquered wood, and those minute intricacies that spoke of real wealth.

He gazed at the two sets of white porcelain cups, key instruments in binding him to one person for the rest of his life.

_Flashback_

"_These are for you, baka deshi," said Hiko, handing Kenshin a rosewood box inlaid with a little scene of flying cranes and dragons. _

"_What is this, shishou?"_

_Hiko remained silent, motioning for the boy to open the box._

_Kenshin opened the box, revealing a bed of fine black silk with gold detailing cushioning six white porcelain cups, each depicting a watermarked mountain scene._

"_You got me cups?" said Kenshin._

_Hiko's expression darkened._

"_Uh…they're really nice cups?"_

_Hiko cuffed Kenshin on the back of his head._

"_You baka deshi, those are to be your marriage cups. I made them so that I can make sure I can rid myself of you," said Hiko._

"_Get rid of me?" said Kenshin._

"_Am I to take care of you forever?" replied Hiko._

_Kenshin looked at the floor._

"_I don't know, shishou."_

_Hiko scoffed. "Well, no matter. Put them away, I guess I'll just have to deal with you forever. What woman would want to bind themselves to you for life anyway."_

_Hiko was silent for a moment. "Well, at least while I'm still available."_

_Kenshin stayed still._

_Hiko cuffed him on the back of his head again, almost sending the boy sprawling._

"_Get a move on, you can't just stand here all day! Go put them away and get your sword, we're training," said Hiko, his white cape fanning out behind him as he swept out of the room._

_Kenshin looked at the cups for one last moment, then shut the top, encasing the cups in their cage of black silk._

_End Flashback_

He almost reached out to touch them, remembering vividly the last time he had picked them up.

"Baka deshi! What are you doing? You can't touch those yet," said Hiko, sweeping into the small room.

Kenshin's hand drew back as if burned, and he quickly got up from his kneeling position, facing his master.

Hiko appraised Kenshin, looking him up and down.

"You clean up nicely, baka deshi," commented Hiko.

Kenshin was in a black gi, the collar embroidered with an intricate gold patterning. The fabric was otherwise plain, and he also wore a plain white hakama. The dark red fall of his hair was secured in a high ponytail, his eyes standing out in gold that matched the embroidery.

"But you still can't eclipse your shishou, huh?" continued Hiko.

They stood there, two masters, two warriors, and a father and son.

"Well, don't stand there all day, the ceremony will be soon," said Hiko.

This time, both sat, waiting for the rest of the procession.

---

A finely dressed woman walked slowly into the small room, followed by six other women, obviously relatives.

A man kneeled next to six white porcelain cups, to the right of a priest.

The woman walked up to the left of the priest, kneeling down gracefully.

The two made a striking pair, done up in dark red, gold, and black.

The atmosphere was unexpectedly solemn, the ceremony beginning and everyone in the room silent.

The priest motioned for the two to drink from the first set of cups. They both picked up the first cups in the row, reaching out there arms and entwining them together, their bodies forced closer together while they both swallowed the drink, the priest reciting the vows that they were taking, the sake solidifying the promise.

Respect, said the priest, is fundamental in marriage, and with this sake, you do promise to respect each other, as long as you both live.

The two picked up the second set of cups, raising them to their lips in the same way.

Honor, said the priest, is key in the longevity of a marriage, and with this sake, you do promise to honor each other, as long as you both live.

They picked up the third set of cups, entwining their arms for the last time.

Love, said the priest, is the life of the marriage, and without it, it will wither. With this sake, you do promise to love each other, as long as you both live.

Gold and dark blue eyes met, locking gazes as they downed their last cup of sake.

You are now bonded for life, said the priest. May you both live long lives, and may fertility and happiness follow you.

The priest stood, walking out of the room, followed by the two just married, and the rest of the procession following.

---

A raucous party followed the otherwise solemn ceremony.

The entire estate was gathered in the large center courtyard, drinks and food flowing freely to the staff and the nobles alike.

Soujirou, Aoshi, Hiko, Souzou and Kenshin were all sitting at one table.

Sano had been sitting with them, but due to hazard of flying food, had been kicked out, and was now in his own war zone, no one daring to go close, Kami-sama forbid if you get hit.

At another table adjacent to the men's table, sat Kaoru, Misao, Megumi, Inoe, Nari, Tsukinoyo, and Tae.

If you couldn't feel the tension radiating between the two tables, you were either stupid…or really stupid.

Kenshin narrowed his gold eyes, annoyed by his own lack of action, and further annoyed that he couldn't place the blame on anyone other than himself.

Finally, he got up, and walked silently over to the adjacent table, coming up behind Kaoru and placing his hands on her shoulders.

Kaoru stiffened, and her head whipped around to see who it was.

"Kenshin," she said.

"Would you like to dance?" said Kenshin. He swept her to her feet before she could answer, and the two glided over to the dance floor, their movements only somewhat impeded by Kaoru's restrictive kimono.

"How are you adjusting to the married life?" said Kaoru jokingly.

"It suits me," said Kenshin, "but I can only imagine it getting better later."

"Do you?" said Kaoru. "How?"

Kenshin's eyes widened, his smile coming into place as he realized the true extent of her innocence.

_No one has ever touched her before…good. She's mine, and no one else is **allowed **to touch my property. _

Kenshin felt a surge of possessiveness, his hands clutching Kaoru closer to him.

"You'll see, love."

---

Hiko had long had enough of this manly bonding shit that they were now attempting a lame impression of. He had already completed number two on his list, which consisted of drinking numerous cups of sake.

He set down his cup, and stood, stopping momentarily to scoff in the general direction of the table, and walked over to the table where his wife was sitting, which currently looked just as inactive as his own table.

Tae's quick brown eyes caught her husband's movements, the coffee color brightening.

"Care to dance?" rumbled Hiko.

"Hmm…," began Tae, propping her head up on her hand as she pretended to think hard about the situation.

"I'm not so sure. What'll you give me?" said Tae, her eyes sparkling.

Hiko bent down, whispering in her ear, the other girls' ninja hearing not even picking anything up.

Tae smirked.

"Are you sure I can't just get that from someone else?"

Hiko growled low in his throat.

"Not as high quality, dear," growled Hiko.

Tae laughed, then stood, holding her hand out to her husband.

"If you say so."

---

Soujirou was getting a little tired of the tension. While sitting here and drinking many cups of tea was very relaxing and all…he had never really been one for meditation. He left that one up to Aoshi.

He counted off what he could possibly be doing in his head.

Training.

Sleeping.

…

So that was it. Sue him. He glanced over to the other table, which at the moment was just as comatose as his own table, and slumped down on the table, resigned to sit out the rest of the wedding and maybe catch up on some lost sleep.

_Damn it._ The thought came suddenly and swiftly.

He hadn't been drinking cups of decaffeinated tea had he…

---

He was getting so bored.

It was a little ridiculous. He was starting to wonder what Kenshin and Kaoru would do to him should he blow off the rest of their wedding.

On the other hand, maybe he didn't.

He glanced over at the opposite table which currently held practically all the ladies he associated with.

Of course, he realized just then that all of this was really self-inflicted, he could just get up…

Souzou glanced around the courtyard, his eyes landing on a certain disgraceful sight.

_Huh, well at least Sano was having fun._

_---_

Aoshi loved meditation. He really did. He thought it was the most relaxing thing you could immerse yourself in. Of course, there's always that saying 'too much of a good thing.' Which happened to apply just now.

If he drank another cup of tea, he thought his bladder was going to burst. His was an unfortunate situation, for sure.

He looked vaguely in the direction of the girls' table, contemplating if he should go ask one to dance.

_Inoe?_

Too burdened for him.

_Nari?_

Nope.

_Tsukinoyo?_

He'd honestly rather not.

_Misao?_

Aoshi almost broke out into laughter.

He wasn't suicidal, last time he checked.

_Megumi?_

Hmm….possibility.

The lady doctor was an intelligent woman, no matter how much her behavior pointed in the other direction at times. She was also conniving, and very cynical, which made for rather lively conversation.

Aoshi frowned, seriously considering asking to lady sensei to dance.

He looked around him, seeing the slumping figures that surrounded him.

_Oh screw it._

_---_

Soujirou and Souzou watched in confusion as the stoic Oniwabanshuu leader got up and strode over to the girls' table. Their mouths dropped open as they saw Aoshi tap Megumi's shoulder, and very politely, offered her a dance.

The two heard loud choking noises behind them when Megumi accepted and stood, taking the proffered hand.

The choking noises continued as the two watched the unlikely couple begin to dance, a low conversation passing between them.

Soujirou got over his surprise and ran over to Sano, pounding hard on his back, the choking man finally regaining his ability to breathe.

---

The night slowly wound to an end, people slipping out of the party and offering good wishes to the married couple, and servants began cleaning up the mess, hauling tables back in, and wrapping up food to be taken to the nearest village so as not to be wasted.

Hiko and Tae were among the first of the group to go, Hiko offering gruff good wishes and a lewd comment, Tae frowning deeply while she too offered her congratulations and good luck.

The white caped man walked off, lifting his wife off her feet when he saw the fatigue on her face.

Sano left too, when he saw that there was no more food to be given to him, and getting up with some difficulty, walked off to his room, presumably to sleep off the pounds and drunkenness.

Aoshi and Megumi came and offered their good wishes next, even though Megumi couldn't help but drop a snide comment, Kenshin calmly restraining his wife while he politely refused Megumi's offer, saying he 'liked very much what he had, arigatou gozaimasu, but no thanks.'

Inoe and Tsukinoyo offered their warm congratulations, though the former avoided eye contact with the new wife, and the two walked off their separate ways to tend to business before they went to sleep.

Souzou had half-carried Nari over to say goodnight, partly because she wouldn't allow herself to be fully carried. Finally, she had succumbed to his pleas not long after she had sleepily congratulated the newlyweds. He walked out with her in his arms, thanking kami he knew where her room was.

Misao was entirely asleep, Soujirou bringing her sleeping body with them as he bid them goodnight, and said very cheerfully that Misao-san wished the same, and had told him so before she had taken an impromptu nap.

---

Kaoru was still crackling with energy as she received good nights and good wishes from everyone, her mind keeping her awake.

When the last well-wisher came, she still had her smile in place, offering the right words to everyone.

"Go to our room, I'll be there in a minute or two."

Kaoru nodded mechanically, getting up and walking up to their room.

Our room. Kenshin and I. She sat down in front of a mirror, taking down the intricate patterns and ornaments that had been so painstakingly put in. She brushed out her long hair, carefully undoing her obi and kimono and putting them in the closet, putting on a comfortable white sleeping yukata.

A low noise alerted Kaoru to Kenshin's presence, her hand abruptly stopping its path through her hair.

Kenshin continued walking in, and soon after, Kaoru heard the sounds of fabric rustling and the crisp noise of sheets being turned down.

Deciding to speed up the inevitable, she stood, walking over to the bed.

Kenshin's gold eyes burned into her, and she nervously sat on the bed, tucking herself under the sheets.

She heard the rustle of sheets as Kenshin slid in next to her, his arms snaking around her waist and turning her to face him.

His eyes met hers and he lowered his mouth onto hers, his tongue sliding against the outline of her lips, drawing a light moan from her.

His tongue pushed more insistently on her lips, demanding entrance, and she opened her mouth, his tongue sliding up against hers.

A few moments later, he stopped, pressing a light kiss to her mouth before pulling away completely.

"We don't have to until you're ready. You have nothing to be afraid of, I wouldn't force a woman," said Kenshin, his eyes meeting her gaze squarely.

Kaoru swallowed, her mouth still tasting like Kenshin, and nodded, her eyes relieved but a little regretful.

She laid back down, wrapping the sheets around her.

She gasped in surprise when she felt strong arms closing around her waist again, spooning her against a hard, male chest.

"I would much prefer sleeping like this, wouldn't you?"

Kaoru didn't bother to answer the rhetorical question, the warmth radiating off his body seeping into her.

She was drifting off to sleep when she heard a voice.

"Oyasumi nasai, koishii."

Whether she heard it or dreamed it, she smiled softly all the same, drifting off to sleep.

_Chapter 7! Sorry to everyone who read Romancing the Stone, but I updated this first. I can't seem to get out Chapter 7 for that story…Hope you all enjoy, and leave me a review! Sorry for not individually replying, but the schoolwork is killing me!_

**Thanks to:**

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**MuSiCaDdIcT RYE**


	8. Chapter 8: Soliloquies and Kidnapping

_The Art of Seduction: Chapter 8 (revised)_

_Soliloquies and Kidnapping_

_By Iridian_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, it belongs to Nobuhiro Watsuki._

The sun rose on the estates of Lord Himura Kenshin, the bright rays streaming into every corner of the house. Kenshin's narrow gold eyes opened, the single stream of sunlight escaping the heavy black curtains casting light on his side of the bed. He looked down at his new wife entangled in his arms, allowing himself a moment to savor the moment, before he deftly disentangled himself and slid out of the bed, slipping on a dark blue gi, white hakama, and his shoes and slipping quietly out of the room.

Peaceful surroundings met him as he quietly slid open the shoji doors and stepped out into his front porch.

Marrying Kamiya Kaoru was probably the best political move he had ever made in his life. Now, due to the nature of said woman, whether he would be in the right state of mind to reap the benefits was called seriously into question.

She drove him crazy, of that, he was sure, but his honor to his three protectors from when he was very young would not allow him to relieve himself. And the option of taking on a mistress was not a favorable one. He suspected Saitoh would try to kill him if he pulled a stunt like that…not to mention Hiko's wrath.

She was beautiful, and very much so, but beauty fades and is so easily marred by the sword. What need did Kenshin have of beauty? But pretending that she didn't have other admirable qualities would be trying to blindside himself, and right now he needed clarity.

_Flashback _

_Sometimes even the dim silver moonlight woke him up. It was an advantage in wartime…in peacetimes it made for an unhealthy lack of sleep. He sat up, his dark red hair covering his shoulders and his gold eyes narrowed in the manner of someone who just woke up. A warm mass shifted beside him, and his head snapped to the side, his body tensing then relaxing as he remembered where he was. _

_His Kaoru. For now, only in name, but that would change soon. He couldn't bear the thought of forcing a woman, it made him almost physically sick. But he was sure that she would not tarry too much longer. He would make sure of that._

_End Flashback_

As he glanced back towards his room, he wondered idly if he was the only man in Japan whose wife's body was unknown to him after a day, or more importantly a night, of marriage.

Deciding it was best if his new wife didn't wake up alone for the first time in new surroundings, Kenshin turned to slide the shoji open and stepped inside. It was for her security of mind, nothing else.

---

Kaoru woke up with a wonderful sense of wholeness, which was then quickly followed by a sense of being watched. Her senses seemed to be right on that morning, and she turned to find her husband sitting next to her in bed, watching her.

"I'm feeling a strange sense of déjà vu. I wonder why?" said Kaoru, her head tilting to the left, her eyes opening wide and questioning.

"Better déjà vu than constant surprise," replied Kenshin shortly. He got up from his position next to the bed and began brushing out his hair.

Soon enough, he felt hands on the back of his head, gentle fingers prying the brush from his hands. He began feeling the gentle, rhythmic motion of the brush moving through his hair.

---

Kaoru felt extremely content at the moment. She finally got to touch her husband…in a strictly platonic way, for now. She had felt some disappointment in his lack of initiative the night before, but furthermore a sense of relief. She felt his shoulders tense when her fingers brushed down his back, following the line of his hair. Suddenly she felt very foolish, sizing her husband up from behind, and not knowing what he really was like underneath his clothes. She must be the only woman on earth who did not know her husband's body after their wedding night!

Kenshin felt her gathering up his hair in his customary ponytail, tying it securely and running her fingers through it several times to get any tangles that the brush had missed.

"Done."

Kaoru brushed her hands together, a small smile of triumph gracing her features.

Kenshin got up, and carefully walked over to the wardrobe, slipping off his sleeping yukata, and rummaging around topless for his dark blue gi.

Unknown to him, Kaoru was blushing bright red, her eyes unwillingly glued to the muscles that were rippling in his back as he moved.

A small squeak was emitted from her mouth, and she frantically clapped a hand over her mouth, the sound being quickly stifled.

Kenshin, though, was not called Battousai for no reason. He halted his search, turning to find a very red Kaoru, her hands clapped over her mouth, and her eyes wide open and staring at him.

He grinned very slowly, his mouth turning upwards into a half-smirk.

"Like it? You're going to be living with it," he said. And with that said, he grabbed his gi from the western-style closet, and slipping it on, walked swiftly out of the room.

Kaoru only managed to narrow her eyes at the closed door, the man already long gone.

---

"Ohayou everyone, I trust that you all had an absolutely fantastic night?" announced Sano, breaking the serenity of the breakfast room.

He looked down, finally noticing only that only Aoshi and Kenshin were present in the room.

"Well, that introduction was worth nothing," he grumbled, sitting down and helping himself to rice and miso soup.

Aoshi and Kenshin looked up at him briefly, then turned back to their respective breakfasts, Aoshi only pausing to pour himself another cup of green tea.

"Where's Kaoru?" said Sano slyly, his face drawn up into a smirk.

"She's right here, rooster-face," said Kaoru serenely, walking into the dining room in a black kimono patterned with black chrysanthemums.

"Sleep well?" said Sano, his eyebrow arching into his brown hair.

"Rooster-face, stop trying to say something intelligent, you might hurt yourself," drawled a voice from the door.

Tsukinoyo strolled into the dining room, her gold eyes mocking. Her two cousins trailed after her, Nari stifling laughter, and Inoe shooting Tsukinoyo a reproving glance.

Tsukinoyo only sent a disarming glance at Sano, who didn't so much as blink an eye.

"Last night was wonderful, was it not?" said Inoe, her long pale hair sweeping across her shoulder as she gracefully refilled cups of tea.

"It was," replied Tsukinoyo, "I never thought I would see Misao and Sano make more of fools out of themselves, but they outdid themselves. I can't take the credit for such a masterful performance though."

Tsukinoyo glanced over at Aoshi, who was currently absorbed in stirring his miso soup with his chopsticks.

"And where is your partner in crime, Aoshi-kun?" added Nari, smiling broadly at the tall man.

Aoshi steadfastly ignored her, turning his head towards the window.

Breakfast continued on.

---

Soujirou had intended to leave Misao alone for the night after he had settled her in, but unfortunately, he very rarely got what he wanted. Misao had rather decidedly latched onto his arm after he had tucked her in, refusing adamantly to let go, her sleep-hazed mind stubborn.

He had reluctantly sat on the edge of her bed, staying there in hopes that she would perhaps let go sometime during the night.

Obviously, he had never been subject to the whims of the weasel.

Misao was currently sprawled over the bed, her chest softly rising and falling as she slept on. Even the sunlight streaming through the cracks in her window didn't disturb her in the least.

Soujirou was too much of a gentleman to wake her up so he could leave, so he had been sitting here for the entire night, the better part of night being spent awake and staring into space.

He had tried meditating, but Misao's hand on his arm effectively prevented him from being able to get enough off of his mind to try any kind of successful meditation.

He had tried going to sleep, but every time he rested his head downwards, Misao's arm would tug him off the back of his chair and closer to the bed, so he always ended up in a position half-hanging over her, half-sitting.

He sighed and brushed a stray piece of hair out of her eyes, a new level of exasperation reached when she didn't even stir at his ministrations.

But then, a particularly bright ray of sunshine came in through the window, landing squarely in Misao's eye, the light sending a faint signal that perhaps it was time to get up in her brain.

True to form, her eyes slowly opened to find a blue-eyed assassin leaning over her, his hand dangerously close to her face.

"Soujirou?"

Soujirou gulped. "Yes?"

"What are you doing here?"

"Uh…heh, well, you see…last night, I was carrying you back to bed, and you fell asleep and wouldn't let me go, but I didn't want to wake you up, you looked so peaceful and well-."

Misao cut him off. "I see. Well…arigatou."

Soujirou's blue eyes were widened, an adorable "Ara…?" hanging off his lips.

Misao leaned over, giving him a light peck on the cheek.

"I really appreciate it. That's what friends are for, ne?"

She got out of bed, jumping up, her usual energetic self.

"Let's go get something to eat?"

She skipped off, bounding out of the door.

Soujirou's smile faltered for a moment, his mind repeating the words over and over in his head.

That's what friends are for, ne?

---

Tae had already been up and bustling about for quite a time now, getting the Akabeko ready for the rush of breakfast goers that came right at opening time. Her work done, she sat and watched her loyal employees finish boiling water, washing teapots and plates and the like, and simply reveled in the feel of her accomplishment.

Warm hands closed over her eyes, obscuring her vision.

"Oh my…I am so scared," said Tae, her vice coming out huskier than usual.

"Don't be afraid," replied her attacker, a hint of a laugh creeping into his voice.

"And why would I go do that? Maybe I'll scream," replied Tae, leaning back into a warm chest.

Hiko turned her around, his hold shifting down to her waist, chuckling a bit.

"I'll just tell them that you agreed wholeheartedly."

"Did I? And who will they believe, the poor helpless woman-."

"Or her husband?"

Tae laughed, muzzling her head into the hollow between Hiko's neck and chest.

She felt his chest rumbling with his own laughter.

She looked up, taking in the face of the man she married, and simply reveled in the feel of her greatest accomplishment ever…catching Seijirou Hiko.

A startled gasp turned into giggles as Hiko swept her up into his arms, and left down the hallway.

Her employees only smiled, hearing the distant sound of a couple laughing disappearing down the hall.

Their boss never did work the morning shifts anyway.

---

Souzou strolled into the dining room, finding only dead silence.

Nari was the only one who greeted him, and it was only a smile at that.

Sano was gorging himself, and was, as per the norm, blissfully unaware of his surroundings.

Inoe looked up and offered him a polite smile. After all his years of knowing her, she had never once gotten angry or been anything but the picture of civility.

He sighed. He wasn't going to be getting any conversation till he left this room, so he decided to eat as quickly as possible, and leave.

This was going to be a long breakfast.

---

Misao skipped into the dining room, calling out behind her for Sou-chan to hurry up.

"Ohayou minna-san!" came her bright greeting, plopping down in the empty chair next to Tsukinoyo, who glanced up and grinned at the bubbly young girl, reaching out to pour her a cup of green tea.

"How are you, Misao? Did Sou-chan get you to bed alright?" asked Tsukinoyo, her face the picture of polite inquisitiveness, only given away by the mischievous twinkle in her gold eyes.

Misao choked on the riceball she had been stuffing into her mouth, immediately followed by a crimson red blush.

At that moment, Sou-chan himself walked into the dining room, offered his polite good-mornings, and turned to look at a sputtering Misao.

"You managed to choke yourself already? Misao, I have only left you for five minutes at the most!"

Almost everyone in the room chuckled, Misao sending a betrayed glance to Soujirou, who promptly sat down and began eating quietly.

She then sent a venomous glare at Tsukinoyo, who only smiled and turned back to her food.

"So, this is your first day as a married couple. Congratulations," said Soujirou, glancing at Kaoru.

"Arigatou gozaimasu, Sou-chan. Though I hope that you save all the congratulations until we have made it through a month of marriage," said Kaoru lightly, hoping to brighten the mood.

She failed, but life goes on.

---

Megumi was one of those people that believed in early to bed, early to rise. She had gotten up with the sun, preparing the clinic for the usual onslaught of patients that came in the morning.

Some patients needed her medically, some just needed comfort, and some needed more than she could offer. But it was all she could do sometimes, offer every medical remedy she had, offer condolences, offer herself as a shoulder to cry on.

Sometimes she wished someone would offer her something.

When she cried at night about the people who she was unable to save, who was there for her?

But Megumi didn't have enough daylight to ponder about these things. But last night, her thoughts began to wander.

Shinomori Aoshi had danced with her last night. He hadn't offered to dance with anyone else there, but he had chosen her to dance with.

Odd, since she hardly ever talked to the man, very sure that the man had an icicle stuck somewhere where it shouldn't be, and he was too cold for it to melt on its own.

Aoshi was the kind of man that lent a sense of stability just by being himself.

Dancing with him last night had been…pleasant, and she had entertained the thought of doing it again.

She paused at her task of sorting out her various herbs, and thought about that once more.

She would dance with him again. And after that, who knows…maybe he would like to do it again.

---

Kaoru gave out a sigh, relieved at finally escaping the dining room, where no one seemed to be able to start decent conversation.

She had spent the majority of her breakfast staring at her husband through her lashes, and thanked Kami that he never seemed to notice.

Everyone seemed entirely at ease with the silence at the table, but Kaoru had never been to a meal where everyone sat silent and still.

_Flashback_

"_Saitoh, you foolish man. Let the boy go this instant!" cried Tomoe, throwing her hands up in irritation. _

"_This boy was trying to kill me!" roared Saitoh._

"_He only tried to kill you because you tried to arrest his father!"_

"_His father was caught stealing from the treasury!"_

"_Well, if you would just go through with the plan-."_

"_NO!"_

_Saitoh sat back down and gestured for the guards to take the boy away._

_Tomoe leveled a glare at the soldiers. "If you so much as touch a hair on his head, you will be banned from this castle."_

_The soldiers looked absolutely lost, coming to an abrupt halt halfway on their path to the boy._

"_Saitoh, I want you to employ this boy's father in the royal guard. If that does not work out, and he is as lazy and worthless as you believe, you may do whatever you want with him," said Tomoe._

_Saitoh raised an eyebrow at his wife._

"_Please, Onee-san? I'll play with the boy and make sure he learns proper manners," said Kaoru, batting her eyelashes at her father. As soon as he stopped looking at her, she turned and winked slyly at the boy._

_Saitoh sighed. "Just…do whatever they said."_

_The guards grinned at the king, already used to this. The king always ended up being nice, even if he did hold out very well before giving in._

_Kaoru grinned. _

_All in a day's breakfast for the royal family._

_End Flashback_

She sighed, hoping that she would get the various members of Kenshin's estate to loosen up and talk.

Maybe they would…eventually.

A figure silently slipped a drugged cloth over Kaoru's mouth, unnaturally bright red eyes glinting in the darkness.

Kaoru felt the cloth cover her mouth, her breathing becoming erratic as she panicked, pulling at the cloth.

Eventually, her body fell limp, the drug taking its toll on her.

"Goodnight sweetheart."

_Cliffie! I know I haven't updated in forever, but I've been really caught up in things. Review!_

_Iri_

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_As for whoever unknown is: please read the a/n's in other chapters._


	9. Chapter 9: Gone

_The Art of Seduction: Chapter 9 _

_Gone_

_By Iridian_

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Rurouni Kenshin, they all belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki-sama._

Kaoru awoke to find herself bound tightly to a bamboo chair, her arms and legs lashed onto the wooden frame.

She looked around, taking in the bareness of the room, grey pockmarked walls, and a cold steel door, but otherwise…nothing.

She sighed quietly to herself, trying to muster up hope as to why this wouldn't be a problem.

Kenshin was right. Déjà vu is better than constant surprise.

She began to assess her injuries, noting the bleeding and chafing around the ties, as well as bruises that she was sure weren't there before.

She had to hope that Kenshin and her father would come for her. Unfortunately, this wasn't going to be a situation she could handle herself. Kaoru sighed, realizing that she herself could make no headway, and decided to sleep, hoping that that would pass the hours away, and ward off the sinking feeling that was making its way into her stomach.

---

Kenshin paced his bedroom, his eyes narrowed, and his ki raging out of his skin.

Who took Kaoru, and how had he been so stupid as to not sense the man while he was on his own property, manhandling his wife?

_Flashback _

_Kenshin heard a faint scream coming from outside in the courtyard. Kaoru's ki flared to life for a brief moment, then faded to next to nothing. Kenshin raced outside, finding nothing there and any trace of Kaoru gone. _

_Kenshin searched for a trail, anything that he could follow, and came up with nothing._

_Was this the reward of years of being Battousai?_

_End Flashback_

Kenshin stopped pacing, instead casting a cursory glance over the indigo silk ribbon that was the only evidence that his wife was ever there. He imagined another man ripping it out of Kaoru's hair, touching her silky black hair, running his fingers through it – touching Battousai's property.

His ki flared once more, his eyes glowing amber and his nails cutting red half-moons into his callused palms.

He gripped the hilt of his sword, the blood from his palms soaking the grips dark cherry red. A single drop spilled over, slipping inside the scabbard, staining the hidden blade.

Whoever did this would pay for it dearly. After all, this was already his third strike on Battousai's list. Trespassing on his property, touching his property, and then stealing his property. Battousai was nothing if not territorial, and in his eyes, the kidnapper was already burning in hell.

---

Aoshi folded his legs underneath him, exhausted in the short five-hour span that had been frantic, but had still managed to be the slowest time he had ever gone through. Himura's wife was missing, and the day after their wedding, no less. He considered it a personal affront to himself and the Oniwabanshuu that they had managed to steal her away. He would ensure that Kaoru was brought back safely. This was now a matter of honor, and if they had harmed a hair on her head, they were dead. And if they had killed Kaoru, then he would leave them to Battousai.

Aoshi shivered, thinking what Battousai would do to them.

They would get what was coming to them, for messing with them.

---

Megumi bustled about, checking her stores of herbs and salves, readying for disaster. While she was not entirely sure said disaster was actually going to be of the magnitude that she foresaw, it was best to be prepared at all times.

She had seen the shock and pure unadulterated rage that had radiated off the men in the dojo. Kaoru was probably the weakest spot for all of them. Not that she was particularly of specifically emotional vulnerability, but she represented a matter of honor. She was the wife of the lord, and as all the men on the estate had pledged their lives and swords to them, it carried over to Kaoru's illustrious person as well.

Now, everyone was in uproar and well, quite frankly, rightfully so.

But Megumi couldn't help but feel resentment towards her. Kaoru had managed to draw out the most powerful men in Japan to fight for her, and because of their foolishness, many men would be killed, and she would have to deal with an overflow of men crowding her clinic, awaiting treatment for their wounds. But Megumi knew, that however egregious, directly afterwards, they would go out and most likely die fighting.

Megumi's hand trembled violently while measuring out comfrey leaves, spilling the dried faint green leaves from the balance, some of the driest crumbling into dust upon contact.

She just hoped that she wouldn't see any familiar faces on her operating table.

---

Kaoru had, unfortunately, been unable to achieve anything much more restful than a fitful doze, woken alternately by the strange sound of silence that permeated her barren cage. She had been alternately worrying her constraints, and then her lip, and she was pretty sure that if she continued to bite at it, she would break the skin.

Her mind spun for a moment, one of the first moments of true imbalance that Kamiya Kaoru had ever felt in her young life.

_Why is everything spinning? It's so strange…_

The grey walls spun, but seemed to blend seamlessly together again, and no sooner, had already spun out of control again.

She gave her head a firm shake, ridding it of the fog that was drawing ever closer.

Her eyes flashed in front of her a myriad of colors, then faded into an all consuming bright crimson color that seared the back of her eyelids even when her eyes were closed, and she was sure that there wasn't an so much sunlight in the dank room…

The crimson began to darken to a all-consuming black, and she closed her eyes….and gave up.

A creak sounded eerily loud in the pervading silence, and a tall man stepped into the room.

"Kamiya Kaoru is my prize, and mine alone," he whispered to himself, almost seeming to be convincing himself.

He ran long fingers through her long black strands.

His hand shook slightly, and moved to grab at the roots, taking a fierce hold on her scalp and shaking her insensate body around like a rag doll.

"MINE," he growled.

Unknown to the man, another was lurking just beyond the walls, someone who was both a friend and a foe, and a means to an end, but what the end was, was yet to be determined….

---

Kenshin paced and paced. People had been bringing in report after report, but to no avail.

_They should stop trying to calm me down before I'll really be beyond them. If they would just…_

Kenshin strangled a frustrated growl in his throat. He wasn't really acting the part of a calm and confident leader at this point. But he was very much past even pretending calm. _His_ woman was missing, and he had no clue as to her whereabouts, her condition and God help them if they had damaged a hair on her head…

Even Hiko had stopped by to try and "comfort" him.

_Flashback _

"_My stupid student is in there, is he not?"_

"_Y-Yes."_

"_Well why are you still standing there? Isn't it obvious I am about to go into the door? Do you think I'm standing here because it amuses me?"_

_The guard outside the door scrambled to open the shoji door, revealing the massive hulk that was his master. _

"_So, baka deshi, lost your woman have you?"_

_Kenshin turned, an irritated scowl across his features, his eyes narrowed to amber slits._

"_It seems as such," replied Kenshin tersely. _

_Hiko strode over, cuffing Kenshin lightly on the shoulder. _

"_Of course she's alive you baka. Why else would they take her? They need the bait, after all."_

_Hiko continued relentlessly. "If they had meant to just kill her, they would've shot her dead on the spot. With the man that they must've sent to sneak up on her and not be detected and taken down by that little hime-dono of yours, they must've been very skilled. Or she might've been very tired, but with your stamina, I highly doubt that possibility." Hiko snorted again._

"_Pshh. That's why I'm the shishou and you're still the baka deshi."_

"_And tell these fools to cease their searching. You and I both know that it won't come to anything. When they are ready, they will come out. Until then, you had might as well begin preparing yourself as well."_

_Hiko turned, his white cloak swishing out behind him, the guard outside the door scrambling to open and close the door behind him without getting in his way again. _

_End Flashback _

_---_

Tsukinoyo, Inoe, and Nari all had different ways of coping with the recent situations. Unfortunately for the estate, some of their ways were more or less destructive than others.

Nari was throwing her shuriken furiously at a line of straw targets, some of the less sturdy ones dissipating into straw dust by the sheer force and volume of the shuriken. Inoe was doing a rather impressive impression of meditation, though the small cloud of golden-yellow dust was ruining the effect. Tsukinoyo was moving through a more complicated kata, the blades of her kusigara gama flashing in the sun, the ornate iron chains flashing an oily black in the sunlight.

None knew exactly what the end of the day would bring, what anger it would cause, tension to cumulate, but it couldn't be good. Unless, by some insane miracle, they managed to bring back the lady.

Inoe tried to lapse back into her meditative breathing, counting endlessly to seven, but nothing came to fruition. Her head whipped to the side, her index and pointer fingers snapping around the glinting blade. She whipped the blade around in front of her, unfurling the thin rice paper that was artfully twined around the blade, ignorant of the people pressing her from all sides, abandoning their weapons training to come and see what this new happening would bring.

_Your new sister in law is currently unharmed, but as all beautiful things are, this is only an ephemeral state. Your cousin needn't worry though, we will be sure to take better care of her than he. We look forward to your arrival on our compound, when and however you should arrive. _

"We can't find them! Where did they go? Search the grounds immediately!"

The sound reached her ears, loud and brash, but they she was sat still as if mute.

"Lady Inoe, we haven't been able to locate the intruder….he seems to have disappeared…"

Inoe cut the man's hesitant explanation off with the wave of a hand.

"You are dismissed, halt the search, they will find nothing." With the imperative sentence, she whisked off, the blade and note tucked neatly into her obi.

Nari and Tsukinoyo hurried off in her wake, alternating anger and curiosity playing over their features.

Tsukinoyo hurried, forward, keeping stride with her older cousin.

"What just happened? What did it say?"

Inoe didn't answer, turning a sharp left into the main courtyard.

"Inoe!"

She thrust open the thin paper shoji doors to find her red-headed cousin sitting quietly in meditation. His eyes opened a fraction upon her entrance, but she knew that he had sensed her coming, and the urgency in her ki.

She placed the note on the low table in front of him, refolded back into its original shape, and the small shinai it was wrapped around.

He unfolded the paper, his eyes narrowing and his body tensing with anger. He picked up the shinai, examining it, then threw it into the wall across from him, the small blade sinking into the hardwood rafters, a small silvery point all that remained visible.

"Don't go Kenshin, it's a trap, I'm sure of it."

"I have too."

"You don't." Her grey eyes pleaded with him, the hair around her face rustling in her agitation.

Kenshin strode out of the room, grabbing his katana and gesturing to a man to ready his horse. As soon as he exited the doors, his hand whipped up. A second blade was in his hands, the paper wrapped around it in the same manner as before. A small ink painting of a dove was detailed on the paper. It was lashed to a pole, bleeding from its wounds and staining the white feathers dark red.

Kenshin growled deep in his throat.

"Halt the searches immediately. If I see one person out there, armed, right now, they will regret it."

He stepped out, grabbing the reins from the startled attendant who had just gotten the horse.

Mounting, he turned the chestnut mare in the direction of the mountains, where his shishou, Hiko, lived.

Something needed to be done, and soon.

The wind whipped his long red hair back from his face as he rode at a fierce gallop up the path.

Inoe stood in his wake, watching his frantic ride.

"Go back to your tasks."

Everyone left the working square, heading in different directions.

Only the three cousins remained.

"Inoe?" Nari's eyes were uncharacteristically cold, her posture erect and proud. Tsukinoyo stood beside her, an emotionless façade on her face.

"Come inside."

Tsukinoyo and Nari stepped inside, the former immediately squaring her shoulders and stepping forward.

"What the hell just happened? I demand to know, Kenshin is my cousin as much as he is yours, and Nari and I both live here, don't we?"

Inoe sighed, a brief wispy sound that quickly blew away. "I intend to tell you."

She held out her thin hand, gesturing for the two of them to sit, while settling herself more comfortably, arranging the dove grey folds of her kimono around her.

"Kaoru has been kidnapped, and they are intent on playing games with us. They have the upper hand, for as well as I can see it, Kaoru is the prize, and at this time, they are the ones in possession."

"Do we know who it is? Surely we can figure it out, and rescue her!" shouted Tsukinoyo, her voice agitated, but subdued.

"It is not so simple. If they managed to steal her right from under our noses, who's to say they won't be able to do it again should we get her back? We have to try and sabotage them," replied Inoe.

"You know who it is, don't you?" asked Nari quietly.

"It is quite the gathering of people, to be honest. Mainly, the Juppongatana. However, with recent findings, for the past few months now, we have found them to be communicating with the Jinshuu, as well as the Shimabara Christian groups. We thought nothing of it, they have long since maintained the rivalry, and no matter how much diplomacy they attempt, reaching an agreement would be near impossible for them."

Inoe folded her hands in her lap, her eyes dropping to the table.

"We have underestimated them, it seems. Their anonymity is a farce. We will have to wait for them to make their move before we try anything. Kaoru's safety is on the line. As it is, they will have her drugged to the gills. They know of Saitoh's unorthodox parenting methods, and won't be taking any chances on losing their lead."

"Can we do nothing but wait?" said Tsukinoyo.

"Not unless we risk Kaoru, and that is an impossibility."

Nari shut here eyes, but her stance seemed to firm, and she opened them once more to meet those of her cousins.

"Kenshin will find a way. I believe he's already gone to find his shishou, and as of yet, he has never failed at solving a problem before."

"I hope so."

---

Kaoru woke with a start, her head pounding.

_Where am I?_

Her head was throbbing painfully, colorful dots dancing in her vision, obscuring her line of sight. The dimpled wall in front of her blurred, going black before coming back with a dizzying mix of red and orange.

A blurred head appeared in front of her, and she squinted, trying to focus the image more.

Ash white hair and a pair of silver circular glasses came into focus, sharp grey eyes looking at her smugly.

"Enishi?"

"I see you haven't changed a bit. Still the same little girl as you always were."

He walked forward, reaching out to tilt her chin up, her confused blue eyes meeting his.

"But so much more worth as a woman, instead of the child. Able to attract lovers now, are you?"

His grip on her chin tightened, and this time around, it hurt.

"What have you to do with this anyway. Enough of this, Enishi, let me go!"

"Not so fast. I'm afraid I can't do that. I'm not just looking out for my own interests, after all. Rest assured, you'll be seeing your husband again." His face practically dripped disdain at the word "husband".

"What? Enishi this is ridiculous, how could you do this to Tomoe? You-."

"Tomoe is dead to me! She was dead to me as soon as she left my side to marry that fool Saitoh. When she left mother and father to be with that scum!" His chest rose and fell rapidly with each breath.

"She never-."

"SHUT UP!" he roared. His hand swung out, catching Kaoru across the face, blood immediately rushing up to color a red handprint on her face.

A small trickle of blood stained her chin, her chapped lips breaking open.

"Now look what you've done. You made me angry, and look what happened. Don't do that again. I don't like marring your pretty face."

"Wait…"

Her protest fell on deaf ears. Enishi turned, and disappeared out the door, shutting it behind him with a decisive slam.

Sorry for the long wait! I'll be trying to get these up fast from now on, promise! 

_Iri_

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	10. Chapter 10: Find What You Lost

_Chapter 10: The Art of Seduction_

_Find What You Lost _

_by iridian_

_Disclaimer: I do not own any characters of Rurouni Kenshin, the all belong to Nobuhiro Watsuki-sama._

Kaoru felt the bile rising in her throat, burning its way up. She resolutely swallowed hard, the bile stinging flesh abused by her constant heaving as it was forced back down into her stomach.

_Enishi will not do this to me…my own uncle._

But even she didn't believe herself.

_Flashback_

"_Stop this Enishi, you're being ridiculous."_

"_Don't tell me what to do anymore! I don't take orders from backstabbing whores like you!"_

_Little Kaoru crouched down, listening in to the heated exchange going on inside._

"_Enishi, I did not leave you. I got married, but I am still your onee-chan, ne?"_

"_I don't have a sister. Mother and father are disappointed in you, you goddamn whore!" _

"_Enishi, they're not alive anymore, how can they possibly have any opinions?"_

"_Shut up, bitch!" _

_A resounding slap echoed through the empty hallway where Kaoru was._

_She quickly got up and ran, hoping that her daddy would be nearby. _

"_Daddy? Daddy? Come quick! Uncle Enishi is hurting Mommy!"_

_Saitoh's snakelike eyes widened. _

"_Where are they, Kaoru-chan? Quick, take Daddy to them." A subtle sense of urgency and desperation tickled Kaoru's senses from her father's voice, but she quickly shook it off. Her daddy was never scared. _

_She grabbed his hand and began weaving her way through the castle hallways, her small hand gripping her father's much larger callused one tightly._

"_Enishi, think this over. You're all I have left! Please don't do this!"_

_Kaoru watched her father barrel into the room, a hand on his katana. _

_A brief scuffle occurred, bangs and curses coming from the room. _

_A troop of palace guards arrived on the scene, paying no attention to the little girl by the doorway._

"_You will burn! I'll avenge my family in this life and in the next!"_

_Kaoru heard the captain apologizing to her parents, and the sounds of her uncle being tied up and marched between a phalanx of heavily armed trained soldiers. _

_Her mom and dad came out, Kaoru immediately going up to them. _

"_What's going on? Where are they taking him? What happened?"_

_Saitoh gave his daughter that 'be quiet' look, and Kaoru immediately shut her mouth, burrowing further into her mother's embrace._

_The soldiers came out, Enishi still putting up a fight._

_His eyes caught Kaoru's._

"_My little niece…we'll be seeing each other, yes? You'll be good for Uncle Enishi won't you?"_

_End Flashback_

Kaoru felt the bile rising in her throat again.

_Kenshin will come for me. I am his wife after all. He has to rescue me…he's the most renowned military mind and samurai in the entire country! And father will come and help me, and Soujirou too. And I'm certainly no pushover._

Kaoru snorted loudly.

"They won't get away so easily."

---

A loud crash resounded from the throne room of the palace.

"How did this happen? Tell me how this happened, because I'm sure that I sent you to protect her."

Saitoh's narrow gold eyes burned into the three cowering men before him.

"Your highness, we didn't detect any movements from-."

"Get out."

The three men stood, bowing hastily, then scrambled out of the room, the last nervously tripping before leaving the room.

"How could he lose her so soon? I had expected better from Battousai," snarled Saitoh.

"I knew this was going to happen, sooner or later. Perhaps it was not wise to conceal the situation from him when we gave her to him," replied Tomoe.

"Well, he probably knows enough by now. Even if he doesn't know the whole story, why should he even care? It doesn't matter who took her, she is his goddamn wife!"

"We must lend our support to him as soon as possible. He has been waiting long, and his…people threaten our reign as well."

"Good lord woman, lighten up. I have faith in Himura, and an even greater faith in myself."

"Well look who's talking now."

---

Kenshin had never thought that he would be facing something like this. Now that it had happened, he wasn't sure how it had happened without him knowing anything about it. Of course, he accredited it to Saitoh, who would be the only one who would turn a favor owed to something that benefited himself.

Kaoru had turned out to be a liability, not the asset that he had hoped she would be. As Saitoh's daughter, marrying her had been a political move on his own part to gain a powerful ally, and scare away potential enemies. He knew Saitoh had enemies, but none so far had been powerful enough to make an open attack on him, but now those enemies had banded together. It was a completely unprecedented move. The Shimabara Christian groups and the Jinchuu had been enemies as long as they had both been opposed to Saitoh.

Obviously, Kami-sama had had something shoved up his ass for this to happen.

A knock came from outside, bringing Kenshin out of his reverie.

"Kenshin-san, may I come in?"

"Hai."

Seta Soujirou walked silently into Kenshin's study, his trademark smile plastered onto his face.

"You wish to see me?"

"I want you to start gathering your forces and allies as soon as possible. As it is, I'm sure that you have a better handle on what the hell is going on better than I do, considering your ties to the Hajime family. However, that is not the priority here, and while I would appreciate knowing more, I am only concerned with getting Kaoru back, and then I will ask questions."

Soujirou only smiled at his response.

He turned and left the room, leaving Kenshin to his preparations.

---

Pale dove grey slippers padded down the hallway, the only sound being the rustle of silk.

Inoe shook out the long grey ribbons and began tying them in a crossover pattern over her arms, securing the silk onto her thin arms, and repeating the action on both of her legs. The pale silk billowed out slightly at her elbows, and was lined with a dark charcoal grey. Her hair was secured in a light bun high on the back of her head, a grey veil covering the bottom half of her face, leaving her pale eyes open and framed by her luminous hair.

"Just where do you keep the weapons in that?" A sarcastic drawl reached Inoe's ears.

Tsukinoyo and Nari leaned on opposite walls of the hallway.

"Where are you going?" said Nari.

"Where are _you_ going?" responded Inoe, raising her eyebrow at her to cousins, dressed identically in black ninja outfits.

"Perhaps the real question is here are all of you going?"

All three cousins turned to look at the tall brown-haired man behind them.

"Souzou-san. Surely you don't intend to impede anything, do you?"

Sousou offered a resigned smile. "Always so cold, so formal. No, I don't Inoe, you know that. I don't have the authority to, and even if I did…" He trailed off.

"Well, it wouldn't work is they main idea here." He smiled lightly at all of them.

"You're damn right it wouldn't work!" shouted Tsukinoyo.

"Tsuki!" said Nari, putting a hand on her arm.

"We'll be seeing you, captain," said Inoe.

He stood there, watching as they slipped out of sight.

"Don't do anything foolish, please."

---

Inoe paused, her two cousins behind her also coming to a confused halt.

"You two go back."

Tsukinoyo spoke up, her voice incredulous. "Are you kidding? There is no way I am allowing you to do…whatever it is…by yourself."

"Well, there is no way that I am going to do anything with you two here. Let's head back then."

"But you can't just not do anything about this!" exclaimed Nari.

"But it makes even more sense for me not to do anything. Kaoru is of no concern to me, we share no blood. At worst, Kenshin can take a new wife. As a woman, I shouldn't be doing these things anyway," replied Inoe.

Tsukinoyo and Nari looked on hopelessly. Slowly, they exchanged looks.

"Inoe, you've always been far too stubborn for your own good," spat Tsukinoyo bitterly.

She turned on her heel, stalking back to the estate she had only just left.

Nari sighed. "I hope you know what you're doing." She turned away, hesitated, and came to put a reassuring hand on Inoe's shoulder. "Be careful."

---

Inoe crept silently through the trees, finally getting her eyes on the target.

_Bakas, they chose the most obvious place to put her._

Of course, it had helped that Inoe had been more than a little persuasive with the men she had met on the way.

She dropped off the branch she was sitting on, noting the suspicious lack of guards around the cement cube that stood before her. A heavy looking wooden door stood sentry.

_Too easy._

_--- _

Kaoru had almost given up hope. It had been who knows how long, since she couldn't see anything, and only light being the 4 metal grates on each side of the room. Even so, she had no way to tell how long she had been here.

She twitched nervously against her bonds, feeling the heavy ropes rub against the raw flesh it had revealed.

The heavy door swung slightly inwards, but the handle remained stationary, as the hinged side moved instead.

A veiled head popped in, followed by the rest of the body.

"Kaoru? I'm so glad I found you."

Kaoru smiled nervously in return.

"Inoe-san, how did you find me?"

Inoe had already gotten out a small knife, slicing through her bonds with ease.

"My little secret. We have to leave now. This was far too easy…"

There was a light swish, but both heads turned to look at the intruder.

"Kaoru, it's so good to see you haven't lost your touch. And look, you have a friend too. How sweet."

Inoe moved forward, unconsciously putting herself between Kaoru and the intruder.

"I don't know who you are, but I suggest you leave while you can."

Enishi chuckled. "Another feisty woman. Would you look at that…birds of a feather flock together."

Kaoru narrowed her eyes. "You had better leave, Enishi. Do you think you can stop both of us?"

"Maybe I can."

Inoe smirked at this. "Awfully cocky for a lone fighter."

"And who might this be? High end friends for someone like you, Kaoru." Enishi smiled viciously at her, but she refused to be cowed, instead squaring her shoulders and looking straight back at him.

"Who I am is not of your concern, now please step out of the way."

Enishi swept a low bow, gesturing lightly at the door. "If you please," he murmured.

Inoe and Kaoru were out in a flash, the guards that had accompanied Enishi immediately chasing them.

"Stop," said Enishi, "We'll see them again later." _Kaoru won't be able to hide from her past, or me for much longer…_

Kaoru looked over at Inoe as she leaned against a tree, making sure that no one was following them. She didn't know why Enishi let them go so easily, but Kaoru knew. He would use this to his advantage for sure. A sickening wave of terror rose in her throat thinking about how her life would crumble if Enishi knew…

"They don't seem to be following us."

Inoe's soft voice broke Kaoru's silent soliloquy, and she looked up, meeting Inoe's grye eyes.

"We had better get a move on, everyone will be worrying about you."

_I'm so sorry about the lack in updating. I just completely lost my inspiration…but I've finally gotten a grasp on exactly where I want the story to go, so look forward to the next chapters. Hope you enjoyed and leave me a review!_

_Iri_

**Thanks to:**

**Lady Dark Angel**

**antica**

**rurounitaru**

**reihoshido**

**reignashii**

**ary-chan**

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**sapphireraccoongal**

**DeeKaui**

**happyangel123**

**ELLIE 31773**

**rightnow.**

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**For reviewing!**


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